EU AI Act Deadline FAQ
Short answers to deadline questions. Dates are rendered from the shared deadline data.
Is the EU AI Act delayed?
Only partly. The Digital Omnibus on AI moved several high-risk, sandbox, and older-generative-system marking dates, but the main Article 50 transparency date was not deferred.
What still happens on August 2, 2026?
Users must be informed when interacting with an AI system; AI-generated or manipulated content, including deepfakes, must be disclosed; disclosure duties apply for emotion-recognition and biometric-categorization systems. Article 49 EU database registration framework and governance/enforcement provisions also apply. This date was not deferred.
When do high-risk AI obligations apply now?
Standalone Annex III high-risk obligations apply on December 2, 2027. Annex I regulated-product obligations apply on August 2, 2028.
What is the Digital Omnibus on AI?
It is the 2026 legislative package that changed several AI Act application dates and added the NCII and CSAM generation prohibition. Deferred dates still depend on Official Journal publication for legal effect.
Do the transparency rules apply to deployers?
Yes, some Article 50 duties can apply to deployers, especially for user-facing AI, deepfake or manipulated-content disclosure, and emotion-recognition or biometric-categorization use cases.
When is AI content watermarking required?
For generative systems placed on the market before August 2, 2026, the Omnibus grace-period date is December 2, 2026. Systems placed on or after August 2, 2026 must comply from placement.
What are the AI Act penalties?
Prohibited-practice violations: Up to €35M or 7% of global annual turnover Most other obligations: Up to €15M or 3% of global annual turnover Supplying incorrect information: Up to €7.5M or 1% of global annual turnover Figures are marked for final Omnibus text verification.
Does the AI Act apply to non-EU companies?
It can. Non-EU companies can be in scope if they place AI systems or models on the EU market or if their AI outputs are used in the EU.
When did GPAI obligations start?
GPAI model provider obligations apply from August 2, 2025 and are already in effect.
What is the deadline for AI literacy?
Article 4 AI literacy obligations apply with the prohibited-practices milestone on February 2, 2025.
What changed for Annex III systems?
The Annex III high-risk deadline moved from August 2, 2026 to December 2, 2027, pending Official Journal publication for legal effect.
What changed for Annex I regulated products?
The Annex I regulated-product deadline moved from August 2, 2027 to August 2, 2028, pending Official Journal publication for legal effect.
Are chatbots covered by Article 50?
A chatbot that interacts directly with people is a typical Article 50 scoping trigger. The exact duty depends on role and implementation.
Are deepfakes covered by the transparency rules?
Yes. Article 50 includes disclosure duties for AI-generated or manipulated content, including deepfakes.
What if none of the wizard categories fit?
Use the full timeline as a backstop and review the methodology. The wizard is a simplified scoping tool, not a legal determination.
Where should I verify the law?
Start with EUR-Lex for Regulation (EU) 2024/1689, European Commission AI Act materials, and Council and Parliament releases on the Digital Omnibus on AI.