Brief Summary of Risk-Based EU AI Act

by

Dimitrios Papantoniou

CyJurII Overseer

on 10 October 2025

The EU AI Act[1] is EU’s inaugural legislative framework for artificial intelligence, the world's first comprehensive regulation on artificial intelligence (AI), which simultaneously addresses the associated concerns and seeks to establish Europe's leadership on the world stage. The Regulation aims to establish a harmonised internal market for AI in the EU, encouraging the uptake of AI and creating a favourable environment for innovation and investment. Thus, the AI Act delineates a definitive and holistic framework of risk-based regulations for AI providers, deployers, importers, distributors, manufacturers as well as affected persons of particular applications of AI.[2] However, it is important to note that AI systems that are used for military, defense and national security are excluded from the scope of this regulation. [3] Most of its provisions will start on August 2, 2026. But, considering the unacceptable risk associated with the use of AI in certain ways, the prohibitions as well as the general provisions of this Regulation have already applied since 2 February 2025.[4]

[1] Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 June 2024, laying down harmonised rules on artificial intelligence and amending Regulations (EC) No 300/2008, (EU) No 167/2013, (EU) No 168/2013, (EU) 2018/858, (EU) 2018/1139 and (EU) 2019/2144 and Directives 2014/90/EU, (EU) 2016/797 and (EU) 2020/1828 (Artificial Intelligence Act, available at

[2] The scope of the EU AI Act is laid in Article 2 and provides as follows: This Regulation applies to: (a) providers placing on the market or putting into service AI systems or placing on the market general-purpose AI models in the Union, irrespective of whether those providers are established or located within the Union or in a third country; (b) deployers of AI systems that have their place of establishment or are located within the Union; (c) providers and deployers of AI systems that have their place of establishment or are located in a third country, where the output produced by the AI system is used in the Union; (d) importers and distributors of AI systems; (e) product manufacturers placing on the market or putting into service an AI system together with their product and under their own name or trademark; (f) authorised representatives of providers, which are not established in the Union; (g) affected persons that are located in the Union.

[3] Ibid, page 7, para 24.

[4] Ibid, page 44, para 179.