What is the EU AI Act and why is it important for your company?

What is the EU AI Act and why is it important for your company?

The EU AI Act (Artificial Intelligence Act) is the first comprehensive regulation of the European Union that specifically regulates artificial intelligence (AI). Companies that use or develop AI systems must ensure that they meet all requirements in order to prevent legal risks and maintain competitiveness. The regulation applies to companies in Germany, Austria and Switzerland that use AI technologies in various sectors such as healthcare, finance and industry. But which milestones must be reached by when?

Milestones of the EU AI Act: these deadlines are essential for companies

The EU regulation will be implemented in several phases. Here are the most important deadlines that you need to keep an eye on:

Provisions of the EU AI Act: You must meet these requirements as a company

The EU AI Act sets out a number of requirements that companies must implement in order to remain compliant. Here are the most important aspects for companies that use or develop AI:

• Risk management, classification and compliance:
  Companies must categorize their AI applications according to risk and ensure that high-risk systems comply with the necessary regulations. This means that companies must continuously monitor and evaluate their AI systems to identify and minimize potential risks at an early stage. For high-risk AI systems, companies must implement risk management, conduct regular audits and prepare compliance reports.
• Transparency and documentation:
  Comprehensive documentation must be created for all AI systems. Companies must be transparent about how their AI systems work and ensure that all decisions made by the AI are comprehensible.
• Data privacy and security:
  AI systems must comply with EU data protection requirements, particularly with regard to the processing of personal data. Companies must ensure that the data on which their AI systems are based is accurate and free from bias. The regulation requires companies to regularly check their algorithms for discrimination and other ethical issues.
• Liability and responsibility:
  Companies must expect strict controls and face high penalties in the event of breaches of the regulation. Companies bear greater responsibility for the impact of their AI systems. The regulation makes it clear that companies can be held liable if their AI systems cause damage, especially in high-risk applications.

Implementing the EU AI Act: get expert support

If you lack internal resources and experience to meet the extensive requirements of the AI Act, it is advisable to seek external support. SoftwareOne offers customized consulting and implementation services to ensure that your company meets the requirements of the EU AI Act on time. Our experts can help you classify your AI systems, create risk management strategies and ensure compliance.

What practical solutions can you adapt as a company?

1. training and awareness: It is important that companies regularly train their employees in the requirements of the EU AI Regulation. Our training programs help you to prepare your team for the new requirements.
2. support in risk analysis: Our experts offer tailored advice on identifying and assessing risks that could arise from your AI systems. We help you to implement the regulation correctly while maintaining your innovative strength.
3. software and tools for documentation: We offer you software solutions that simplify the documentation and traceability of your AI applications and ensure that you comply with the requirements of the regulation.
4. Compliance and certification: We support you in developing and implementing compliance strategies to ensure that your company meets all legal requirements. This also includes preparing for possible certifications.

The first step: train and certify your employees to work with AI tools!

Your employees are an important aspect of implementing the EU AI Act. Employees who are trained and certified in the use of AI better understand the possibilities and limitations of the systems, minimize risks and use the potential of AI more effectively. Training not only promotes the competence and confidence of colleagues, but also strengthens the innovative power and competitiveness of your company.

The SoftwareOne AI driving license offers you the ideal opportunity to make your employees AI-ready. Our e-learning courses are an essential building block for acquiring in-depth knowledge and proving this through appropriate tests. In this way, we close the gap between the growing requirements for AI competence with integrated tests and certificates.