EU AI Act High-Risk Rules Take Effect August 2
The Compliance Countdown Reaches Zero

The EU AI Act classifies AI systems into four risk tiers: unacceptable, high, limited, and minimal. The rules taking effect on August 2 target high-risk AI systems — and the scope is broader than many enterprises expect.

Affected high-risk use cases include recruitment screening, credit scoring, insurance pricing, medical diagnostics, critical infrastructure management, law enforcement support, and immigration border control. Any enterprise deploying AI in these domains must complete conformity assessments.

For compliance violations involving high-risk AI systems, fines can reach up to €35 million or 7% of global turnover, whichever is higher. For providing incorrect or misleading information, fines can reach €7.5 million or 1% of global turnover. Enforcement is carried out by national competent authorities, coordinated by the EU AI Office.

Enterprises should catalog all AI systems currently in use or planned for deployment, classified according to the EU AI Act risk tiers. Without an inventory, you cannot determine which systems require conformity assessment. For each high-risk AI system, build a documented risk management process covering identification, assessment, mitigation, and monitoring throughout the lifecycle — risk management is a continuous process, not a one-time activity.

High-risk AI systems must allow for effective human oversight, including intervention capabilities, halt mechanisms, and result interpretability. Users must also be informed when interacting with an AI system. Compliance is not a one-time certification — enterprises must continuously monitor AI system performance, collect incident data, and report serious incidents to competent authorities.