EU Announces Expansion of AI Act Implementation

The European Commission announced on the 31st that the EU will expand the scope of the AI Act starting August 2, beginning enforcement of transparency rules and relevant regulations for providers of general-purpose AI models.

In a press release issued on the 31st, the European Commission stated that under the new transparency rules, interactive artificial intelligence systems, such as chatbots, must inform users that they are interacting with an AI rather than a human. "Deepfake" content, including images, videos, and audio generated or modified using AI, must be labeled. Content generated or modified by AI must also carry machine-readable tags to facilitate identification. The European Commission stated that these provisions aim to reduce deception and manipulation.

Meanwhile, starting August 2, the European AI Office may enforce relevant provisions of the AI Act against providers of general-purpose AI models. For instance, providers of advanced general-purpose AI models that could pose systemic risks must fulfill additional obligations to mitigate risks of large-scale harm, such as cyberattacks, model runaway, harmful manipulation, and violations of fundamental rights.

The EU AI Act came into effect on August 1, 2024. It classifies AI systems into categories based on the potential risks they pose: unacceptable risk, high risk, transparency risk, and minimal or no risk. The Act adopts a phased implementation approach, with most provisions becoming applicable from August 2, 2026.

Furthermore, through the AI-related components of the "Omnibus Simplification Package," the EU has postponed the application of rules for high-risk AI systems used in recruitment, education, law enforcement, and migration management until December 2, 2027. Rules for high-risk AI systems embedded in regulated products, such as medical devices and machinery, have been postponed until August 2, 2028.

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