What came into force with the EU’s AI Act this week – and what didn’t
Portions of the EU's AI Act took effect this week, while other provisions remain on a delayed implementation timeline. The law phases in its requirements over time, meaning not all rules apply to companies and developers yet.
Why this matters: The AI Act is the most consequential AI law passed anywhere so far. But a law that phases in gradually is easy to misread as a law that applies now. Some of the hardest rules, the ones covering high-risk systems that touch jobs, credit, healthcare, and policing, are not yet active. That gap matters. Companies and governments are still deploying AI in sensitive areas while the enforcement teeth are still being sharpened. If you are affected by an AI system in Europe, the protection you think exists may not be in force yet.
Who should care: AI governance · Lawyers · Administrators · General readers · Policy
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