Extract from Huw Beverley-Smith, Emily Evans, and Charlotte Perowne’s article “The EU Artificial Intelligence Act Comes Into Force on 1 August 2024”
At a Glance
- Various obligations will come into force in phases — between 6 and 36 months following 1 August 2024. While the timetable for compliance may seem relatively long, developing an AI compliance program is a time-consuming process and businesses will need to start as soon as possible.
- Many of the obligations under the AI Act are drafted in relatively high-level terms, and detailed guidance is not likely to emerge for several months. In the meantime, businesses should press on with their compliance programs by taking a risk-based approach and benchmarking against emerging industry norms and the general practice of industry peers.
The European Union Artificial Intelligence Act (the AI Act) was published on 12 July 2024 in the European Union Official Journal and will enter into force on August 1, 2024. The AI Act is one of the most keenly anticipated pieces of legislation globally and has been subject to intense negotiation and revision since its inception in 2021. We considered the provisions of the AI Act in detail in our previous article: EU Artificial Intelligence Act — Final Form Legislation Endorsed by European Parliament.
Publication in the Official Journal means that the dates for compliance are now confirmed. The AI Act will become fully applicable on 2 August 2026. However, some notable provisions will apply before that date:
- 2 February 2025 — The ban on prohibited AI systems that are deemed to pose an unacceptable risk will apply. While many of the prohibitions are aimed largely at governmental entities (e.g., social scoring systems), others will be relevant to businesses — for example, biometric categorization systems, facial recognition databases and emotion recognition systems.
