The AI Act, the world’s first legislation to regulate artificial intelligence, is expected to take effect 20 days after its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union, which is scheduled for between July 10 and 15, meaning August 1, 2024.er août 2024.
Compliance with the AI ACT will not happen overnight. A detailed timeline has been established to allow companies and organizations to gradually adapt to the new requirements.
The first deadlines set by the text concern:
- Within 6 months, the removal of so-called “prohibited” AI systems, as they are considered to constitute particularly harmful practices contrary to the values of the European Union and, in particular, to the fundamental rights enshrined in the Charter,
- Within 12 months, compliance with the requirements regarding general-purpose AI models (whether or not they present a systemic risk) as set forth in Chapter V of the AI Act.
To assist stakeholders in their compliance efforts, the legislation stipulates that codes of good practice must be finalized within nine months. 9 mois.
Most of the obligations and requirements set forth in the text, concerning so-called high-risk AI systems, will apply following a 24-month period during which companies must map their systems, classify them, assess them, and identify potential risks in order to implement the necessary measures to comply with the requirements of the AI Act.
High-risk AI systems falling specifically under one of the Union harmonization legislative acts listed in Annex I of the text (including toy safety, radio equipment, pressure equipment, and medical devices) are granted an additional grace period (36 months from the entry into force of the AI Act). Since the text expressly states that “Providers of high-risk AI systems are encouraged to start to comply, on a voluntary basis, with the relevant obligations of this Regulation already during the transitional period.” it is advisable to start thinking immediately and without delay about the internal governance system to be put in place and the procedures for implementing this regulatory framework, which remains, for most stakeholders, largely theoretical.
