The AI Act establishes a regulatory framework for AI within the EU, aiming to ensure that AI systems are safe, transparent, and respect fundamental rights. The AI Act entered into force on 1 August 2024, and will be fully applicable in 2 years, with some exceptions.

Central to the AI Act is its risk-based approach, categorizing AI systems by their potential risks: unacceptable, high, limited, or low. Depending on the categorization, the AI system is either banned or subject to certain restrictions and requirements.

The Act places special emphasis on education, recognizing the impact AI can have on students' futures. High-risk applications of AI in education – like AI used for admissions, monitoring student behaviour or evaluating learning outcomes to steer the learning process – are subject to stringent requirements. Key responsibilities for teachers may include: informing students, ensuring human supervision, ensuring data quality, keeping records, verifying the safety standards of the AI system.

For more information about the AI Act:

See our resource hub section on AI and assessment: May I use AI for summative assessment (grading)?
See the article ‘The AI act at a glance’ from the Npuls magazine ‘Smarter Education with AI’ (pp. 52-54), which provides a comprehensive overview of AI Act.
Browse the full text of the AI Act using the AI Act Explorer.