Stage 1 · Lesson 3 of 8
The EU AI Act timeline, including the 2026 delay
The Act entered into force on 1 August 2024 and applies in phases. Prohibitions and the duty applied from 2 February 2025. Obligations for general-purpose AI models and the governance rules applied from 2 August 2025.
Most other rules, including transparency, applied from 2 August 2026, when the Commission also gained powers to fine general-purpose model providers. High-risk rules were due on 2 August 2026, but the changed that. The Commission proposed it on 19 November 2025, Parliament and Council agreed it politically on 7 May 2026, and it entered into force on 27 July 2026.
High-risk systems in areas now apply from 2 December 2027, and AI in regulated products () from 2 August 2028.
Common traptrusting a course or written before mid-2026.
A question to check yourself, an AI practice session and 1 cheat sheet entry come with the full roadmap. Unlock
Resources for this stage
Start with· follow one of these
- CoursePaidGrokking Modern AI Fundamentals
Design Gurus · Beginner · $72 one-time
How modern AI systems are built and where they fail, so the rules make sense in practice
- CourseFreeEthics of AI (University of Helsinki)
University of Helsinki · Beginner
A free university course on accountability, transparency, fairness and harm, the ideas every framework builds on
Practise
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Also worth your time
A clear example of the voluntary, principles-first approach many governments outside Europe have taken
- OECD AI PrinciplesGo deeper
The five principles that many national AI policies borrow