EU AI Act 2026: What companies should now check for AI applications
By Nico Freitag, Geschäftsführer, Cybersecurity und Governance
The EU AI Act has generally been in effect since August 2, 2026; individual obligations apply earlier or later. For each AI application, companies should document their role, purpose, risk category, models used, required competence and evidence. Borderline cases require legal review.
What inventory is necessary?
Capture all AI functions used, including functions in standard software. Note the purpose, users, data, providers, human control, and possible consequences of an error. Without this inventory, duties and priorities cannot be reliably classified.
Why is your own role important?
Obligations differ depending on whether a company offers, operates, imports or distributes a system. Even a significant change can influence the classification. Therefore, document not only the product, but also the specific use and your own adjustments.
What can be improved immediately?
Establish responsible parties, release rules, competency requirements and an incident path. Check contracts and technical documentation from providers. This article is organizational guidance and not legal advice.
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Frequently asked questions
- Has the AI Act been fully applicable since August 2026?
- In principle, it has been in effect since August 2, 2026, but the regulation contains staggered exceptions and later dates.
- Is a list of approved tools enough?
- No. In addition, the specific purpose, data, role, risk and human control must be considered for each application.