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EU AI Act essentials: text & Commission guidelines

The full text of the EU Artificial Intelligence Act (Regulation 2024/1689) with the European Commission guidelines on the AI system definition, prohibited AI practices, general-purpose AI model obligations and Article 50 transparency duties, plus the AI Act Service Desk FAQ. For product teams, compliance officers, lawyers and AI startups. Curated by Kopik from public sources: EUR-Lex / Publications Office of the EU, European Commission AI Act Service Desk (EU reuse, CC BY 4.0).

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This assistant answers questions about the EU Artificial Intelligence Act (Regulation (EU) 2024/1689): what counts as an AI system, who has obligations, when the rules apply and what sanctions are foreseen. It is meant for product teams, compliance officers, lawyers and startups who need a quick, sourced answer. Every answer is drawn from the official text published on EUR-Lex, the European Commission guidelines and the AI Act Service Desk FAQ.

What the AI Act regulates

The AI Act lays down harmonised rules on artificial intelligence in the European Union. According to the Commission, its aim is to promote innovation in and uptake of AI while ensuring a high level of protection of health, safety and fundamental rights, including democracy and the rule of law.

The Regulation entered into force on 1 August 2024. It follows a staggered approach: some practices are banned outright, high-risk AI systems face detailed requirements, certain systems carry transparency duties, and providers of general-purpose AI models have their own set of obligations.

Supervision is shared between the AI Office, the European Data Protection Supervisor (for EU institutions) and the national competent authorities of the Member States.

Is my software an AI system?

Article 3(1) defines an AI system as a machine-based system designed to operate with varying levels of autonomy, that may exhibit adaptiveness after deployment, and that infers from the input it receives how to generate outputs such as predictions, content, recommendations or decisions that can influence physical or virtual environments. The Commission guidelines break this down into seven elements.

The guidelines insist that the definition should not be applied mechanically: each system must be assessed on its specific characteristics, and the seven elements do not need to be present continuously across both the building and the use phase.

Some systems fall outside the definition. Examples given by the Commission include basic data processing that follows predefined, explicit instructions (such as a database filter or standard spreadsheet software without AI functions), systems used only for descriptive analysis or visualisation, and machine learning used to accelerate well-established optimisation methods.

Providers, deployers and AI literacy

Most obligations depend on your role. A provider develops an AI system or a general-purpose AI model (or has it developed) and places it on the market or puts it into service under its own name or trademark, whether for payment or free of charge. A deployer uses an AI system under its authority, except for personal non-professional activity.

Article 4 asks providers and deployers to take measures to ensure, to their best extent, a sufficient level of AI literacy among their staff and others operating AI systems on their behalf, taking into account their knowledge, experience and the context of use.

The Service Desk FAQ notes that the Commission's Digital Omnibus proposal would shift this towards the Commission and Member States fostering AI literacy, while keeping training obligations for high-risk deployers. That is a proposal, not the text currently in force.

Key dates and penalties

Under Article 113, the prohibitions and general provisions apply from 2 February 2025, the rules on general-purpose AI models, governance and penalties from 2 August 2025, and most of the Regulation from 2 August 2026. The Service Desk FAQ adds that high-risk rules for Annex III systems will apply from 2 December 2027 and for high-risk AI embedded in regulated products from 2 August 2028.

Violating a prohibited practice can lead to fines of up to EUR 35 000 000 or 7 % of total worldwide annual turnover, whichever is higher. Breaches of many operator obligations, including Article 50 transparency, can reach EUR 15 000 000 or 3 %. Supplying incorrect or misleading information to authorities can reach EUR 7 500 000 or 1 %.

For SMEs, including start-ups, each fine is capped at the lower of the two amounts rather than the higher.

Questions fréquentes

When did the AI Act enter into force?

Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 entered into force on 1 August 2024. Its provisions apply in stages, starting with the prohibitions and general provisions on 2 February 2025.

Are AI agents covered by the AI Act?

AI agents are not a separate legal category, but the Service Desk FAQ explains that the definitions of an AI system and of a general-purpose AI model are sufficient to cover them. An AI agent typically contains a general-purpose AI model and has an interface, so the rules for AI systems and models apply to it.

Is a spreadsheet or a classic statistics tool an AI system?

Generally not. The Commission guidelines cite standard spreadsheet software without AI functionalities, database management systems that sort or filter data, and software that only summarises and visualises data as examples outside the definition, because they do not go beyond basic data processing.

Who enforces the AI Act?

Market surveillance authorities in the Member States enforce the rules for AI systems, including prohibitions and high-risk rules. The AI Office has exclusive powers for general-purpose AI models, for certain AI systems built on them by the same provider, and for AI in very large online platforms and search engines.

Can I file a complaint about an AI system?

Yes. The AI Office offers a complaints tool for AI systems within its exclusive competence and a whistleblower tool for people professionally connected to an AI provider, which accepts anonymous reports in any EU language. Complaints about infringements by other providers or deployers of AI systems go through a dedicated channel, which offers a voluntary complaint template.

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claude mcp add --transport http kopik-eu-ai-act-essentials "https://kopik.io/api/mcp?base=eu-ai-act-essentials" --header "Authorization: Bearer kpk_…"
Configuration JSON (mcpServers)
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "kopik-eu-ai-act-essentials": {
      "url": "https://kopik.io/api/mcp?base=eu-ai-act-essentials",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer kpk_…"
      }
    }
  }
}

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curl
curl -X POST https://kopik.io/api/v1/bases/eu-ai-act-essentials/query \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer kpk_…" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
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