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EU AI Act – Key Dates for Implementation

S-AI-ve the Date – the Timeline now set for the EU AI Act

Mark your calendars – or ask Siri to – as after much discussion, the EU’s AI Act was published in the EU Official Journal on 12 July 2024, setting the timeline for the implementation of the Act as a whole.

As we’ve previously commented on, the AI Act will prohibit uses of AI that pose an “unacceptable” level of risk, such as harmfully manipulative systems and social scoring.

Systems deemed “high risk” (such as systems used in education, employment and law enforcement) will be subject to stringent requirements including human oversight, quality of datasets used for training, and high levels of robustness, security and accuracy.

The Act also imposed additional requirements on General Purpose AI systems (GPAI) such as making available training information and respecting national copyright laws.

The AI Act will have an extra-territorial effect, and apply to AI developers based outside of the EU, if the output produced by the AI system is being used in the EU.

Non-compliance with the Act can incur fines of up to €35,000,000 or 7% of the offender’s total worldwide annual turnover, whichever is the higher.

The AI Act will come into effect in stages:

What about the UK?

The position on AI regulation in the UK remains unclear, at least for now. Eagle-eared viewers of the King’s Speech on 17 July will have noted that the government will “seek to establish the appropriate legislation to place requirements on those working to develop the most powerful artificial intelligence models”, although no further information is available on what that legislation might look like, or when it might arrive.

This sentiment would seem to echo the government’s previous stance in its AI policy paperback in February (see our on this), in which it indicated that whilst it envisaged adopting legislation eventually, for the foreseeable future it would take a decentralised approach to regulation, with existing regulators (such as the Financial Conduct Authority, Ofcom and the Information Commissioner’s Office) applying new principles on deploying AI within their respective sectors. The government seems likely to continue to be cautious and adopt a wait-and-see approach, balancing the need for economic growth and regulating a sector where the UK has real strengths.


Our Commercial experts can guide you through all aspects of existing technology regulations whilst helping you prepare for those upcoming, such as the AI Act. Contact us today to speak with one of our team.   

Disclaimer: This article is produced for and on behalf of White & Black Limited, which is a limited liability company registered in England and Wales with registered number 06436665. It is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. The contents of this article should be viewed as opinion and general guidance, and should not be treated as legal advice.

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