NO AI ACT.

AI Act · Timeline · Official sources

The AI Act application timeline

"Is the AI Act already in force?" It is the most common classroom question — and the answer is: yes, but its rules apply in stages. Here are the dates that matter, what already applies and what comes next, in plain language and with official sources.

01The stages at a glance

The AI Act does not apply all at once: it entered into force on 1 August 2024 and its rules become applicable in stages (Art. 113). The key dates:

Staged application of Regulation (EU) 2024/1689
DateWhat becomes applicable
1 August 2024Entry into force of the regulation (not yet the application of its rules).
2 February 2025General provisions, prohibited practices and the AI-literacy obligation (Art. 4).
2 August 2025Rules on GPAI models, governance, notifying authorities and penalties.
2 August 2026General application: most obligations, including Annex III high-risk systems and the transparency duties.
2 August 2027High-risk systems embedded in regulated products (Annex I) and the compliance deadline for GPAI models placed on the market before August 2025.

02Entry into force ≠ application

These are two different moments: entry into force (1 August 2024) makes the regulation part of EU law; application is when obligations actually bind those who build or deploy AI systems. The staged calendar gives time to adapt — the most urgent rules first (the prohibitions), then the bulk of the obligations.

The penalty calendar does not coincide with the obligation calendar: the difference is set out on AI Act penalties.

03What already applies (as of the review date)

As of this page's last review (September 2026), general application has begun: alongside the bans on unacceptable practices, the AI-literacy obligation and the GPAI rules, most obligations have applied since 2 August 2026 — including the Annex III high-risk systems and the Article 50 transparency duties. One stage is still ahead: 2 August 2027, for high-risk systems embedded in already-regulated products (Annex I) and for GPAI models placed on the market before August 2025. The dates are fixed by the regulation itself; practical implementation (national authorities, guidance, standards) is still evolving — check the official sources below for the current state.

On what to tackle first inside a company, see AI Act for business.

04Where the game comes in

NO AI ACT flips this calendar on its head: its 2032 city is a world where none of these dates ever arrived. Playing a case — for instance the scoring city — makes concrete what the 2025 bans and the 2026 obligations are trying to prevent.

Play a case EU AI Act guide

05Official sources and transparency