Important update: On March 13, 2024, the European Parliament voted in favor of the EU AI Act. The legislation must undergo a few more steps before it is enacted, however it is expected to come into force in April or May this year and, following a 24-month grace period, will be fully in force by around June 2026. In light of this update, we have changed some details in this article.
👉 Get the full overview of the EU AI Act
👉 View an updated timeline for the EU AI Act
The EU AI Act is a landmark legislation dedicated specifically to regulating the use of AI technologies. The Act received a favorable vote from the European Parliament in March 2024, which means that by around June 2026, it will come into force and businesses will need to comply.
So, the big question is, “how do you know if the EU’s AI Act will apply to your business or not?” If it does apply, this prompts a second question: “what obligations might your business have under the Act?”.
Click here to jump into the AI Act self-assessment tool, or if you’d prefer to finish the article, you can click “Start assessment” on the banner at the bottom of the page. The tool is free to use, and you the only personal data you need to share is your email, so we can send you the results of the assessment.
Knowing how the AI Act will apply to your business brings real advantages
By knowing if the AI Act will apply to your AI system and how, you can evade possible pitfalls and the necessity to overhaul or reconsider your under-development products. By determining whether your AI system is categorized as forbidden you can avoid wasting your time and money.
Other advantages include:
- Showcasing future preparedness: boost the faith of potential investors or partners by actively taking into account upcoming regulatory hazards.
- Setting a progressive compliance strategy: assess whether your AI system is high risk or low risk, paving the way for a more proactive and future-oriented financial planning to ensure compliance. Check if your AI system could be deemed as minimal risk, giving you a breather from the demanding obligations under the AI Act.
- Boosting customer confidence and promoting ethical AI use: Fall in line with the AI Act's principles and guidelines (transparency, accountability, and ethical use of AI) and foster customer confidence by showing your adherence to the act, appealing to privacy-aware users and advocating ethical AI practices before they hit the mainstream.
Although there’s no finalized version of the law available yet, the current draft has been published and approved by the EU Parliament. As such, it’s highly unlikely that the act will drastically change between now and the point of final approval and enactment.
📚 Read more: Get an overview of AI regulations around the globe
Who is the AI Act self-assessment tool for?
This tool is for business owners who use AI technology in their product and plan to distribute their product or already distribute their product in the EU.
If you’re unsure whether the technology you use falls under the definition of the AI system, we have a definition inside the self-assessment tool that will help to better understand if the AI Act applies in your case.
📚 Read more: Discover how a DPO and an AI Ethics Officer can help your business stay compliant with AI-regulations
How the EU AI Act self-assessment tool works
The self-assessment contains questions about your business and your AI system. The answers are single or multiple choice to help you through the self-assessment. You don’t need to input anything yourself and we’ve written the questions and answers in easy-to-understand language so you won’t be faced with confusing legal jargon in the assessment.
You should try answering the questions as accurately as possible because the outcomes of the assessment and the recommendations you’ll receive will depend on the information you provide.
The self-assessment tool is split into four parts:
- The first few questions focus on understanding whether the AI Act will apply to your AI system.
- The second set of questions evaluates if your system can be considered prohibited under the AI Act.
- If it’s not likely to be prohibited, you’ll proceed to the questions evaluating if the system can be considered high-risk, and if not what other obligations might apply under the AI Act.
- Finally, if your AI system is not deemed high risk or prohibited, we will assist in evaluating whether it poses limited risk under the AI Act and the corresponding obligations associated with it.
No matter what outcome you arrive at when using the AI Act self-assessment tool, you’ll receive a specific set of recommendations and next steps from the Legal Nodes privacy team.
Assess how the AI Act might impact your business
