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EU AI Act Checklist: 5 Steps to Prepare Your Company
AI regulation is no longer a distant concern – the EU AI Act is here, and parts of it already apply today. The timeline was recently adjusted through the so-called "Digital Omnibus" agreement, which pushed back several high-risk AI deadlines. But that's no reason to wait. Here's the checklist to work through now.
Checklist: How to prepare for the EU AI Act
1. Map your AI systems Build a full inventory of which AI tools you're using, for what purpose, what data is involved, and who's responsible. Without this overview, the rest of the work is hard to do.
2. Define your role Are you a "provider" or a "deployer" of each AI system? Responsibilities and requirements differ depending on your role.
3. Classify your systems by risk Four risk levels apply: unacceptable, high, limited, and minimal. Even though several high-risk deadlines have been pushed back, it's wise to classify now, so you know where you stand once the requirements kick in for real.
4. Ensure human oversight You need the ability to review, intervene in, or stop an AI system's decisions, and to assign personnel with the right training – a requirement already in effect since February 2025.
5. Prepare for transparency and labeling From August 2026, you'll need to inform users when they're interacting with AI and label AI-generated content, with an extended transition period until December 2026 for systems already in use.
Background: what applies when?
Some parts of the legislation already apply: bans on certain AI practices and AI literacy requirements for employees took effect in February 2025, and obligations for providers of general-purpose AI (GPAI) models have applied since August 2025. Transparency requirements, such as labeling AI-generated content, start applying in August 2026. High-risk AI obligations – originally due in 2026–2027 – have each been pushed back a year and now apply from December 2027 and August 2028 respectively.
Don't wait for the deadline
Deadlines being pushed back gives you breathing room, not a reason to wait. The sooner you work through the checklist above and build the right processes, the easier it will be to meet the requirements when they take effect – and the lower the risk of being caught unprepared.
At UltraDefy, we help companies through the entire checklist: from mapping and risk classification to practical implementation of AI strategy and compliance. Reach out if you want to know where you stand.
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