EU AI Act Published in Official Journal of the EU
While you have likely heard numerous times about the historic passage of the EU AI Act, this is the last and most binding version of that news update. The law has cleared numerous steps, from passing the EU Parliament and Council to being approved by the member states, but publication in the Official Journal of the European Union is always the final step in any European law's journey.
It is important to note that nothing has changed in the text itself since it was finalized a few months ago, but we now have clarity on the legislation's key dates. Although published today, July 12th, the law won't start until August 1, 2024. That means the various compliance cliffs are set as:
- February 2025 - Ban on AI systems within the “unacceptable risk” category
- May 2025 - AI Act Codes of Conduct apply
- August 2025 - Governance rules and obligations for General Purpose AI (GPAI) become applicable
- August 2026 - Start of application of the EU AI Act for AI systems
- August 2027 - Enforcement begins
An important reminder: like GDPR, the AI Act will apply to any organization operating within the EU, so American companies are not exempt.
If you're looking for more in-depth coverage of what requirements deployers and developers will have, see our guide here.
