Open data and AI: An update on the AI Act
On 1 August 2024, the Artificial Intelligence Act
[https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1689/oj] entered into force in
the European Union. Designed to promote the safe and trustworthy
development and deployment of AI in the EU, the Act introduces a
risk-based approach, categorising AI systems into four risk levels:
minimal, limited, high, and unacceptable. While full enforcement of
the AI Act will begin in August 2026, certain provisions will take
effect earlier, starting in February 2025.

From February 2025, the AI Act will prohibit AI systems that present
an unacceptable risk, including those that pose clear threats to
people’s safety, rights, and livelihoods (e.g., social scoring
systems). Additionally, governance rules and obligations for
general-purpose AI models will take effect after 12 months, while
regulations for AI systems integrated into regulated products will be
enforced after 36 months. To support this transition, the European
Commission launched the AI Pact
[https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/ai-pact], a
voluntary initiative encouraging AI developers to comply with the
Act’s requirements in advance. 

As technology evolves rapidly, it is crucial to stay informed about
the legislative changes responding to these developments. The
implementation of the AI Act will impact data providers and users who
must comply with the new regulations. At data.europa.eu
[https://data.europa.eu/en], we recognise the importance of adhering
to these requirements to ensure the ethical and transparent use of
data and AI. Last year, we hosted a series of panel discussions
[https://data.europa.eu/en/academy/artificial-intelligence-and-data-ecosystems]
exploring the intersection of AI and open data, examining the
implications of the Act for the open data community. 

To stay informed about the evolving regulatory landscape and the AI
Act, keep an eye on data.europa.eu
[https://data.europa.eu/en/academy/artificial-intelligence-and-data-ecosystems]!


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Publication Date/Time
2025-01-24T09:00:00+00:00
Looking ahead to the upcoming requirements of the AI Act