EU AI Act timeline + key dates

Key dates in plain language, plus what to operationalize at each phase (controls + evidence).

Orientation only. Not legal advice.

Who this matters for

Anyone planning EU AI Act readiness and budgeting implementation work.

A phased “what to do now” plan mapped to milestones and evidence artifacts.

12 Jul 2024: Published in the Official Journal — Start of the countdown. Use this date to sanity-check phased applicability timelines.
1 Aug 2024: Entered into force — The regulation is in force, with many obligations phasing in later.
2 Feb 2025: Prohibited practices apply (Article 5) — High-risk or not, banned use cases should be removed or redesigned.
2 Aug 2025: General-purpose AI (GPAI) obligations begin — Provider-side duties start phasing in for GPAI models and systemic-risk models.
2 Aug 2026: Most obligations apply — High-level operational programs should be live, not “in planning”.
2 Aug 2027: Some high-risk rules fully apply — Later-stage requirements and category-specific obligations phase in.

Inventory AI systems + owners; classify by intended purpose and deployment region.
Remove “stop-ship” prohibited patterns and document remediation decisions.
Stand up an evidence trail: versioning, change control, and audit logs that answer “what ran when”.
If high-risk is likely: start Annex IV technical documentation and QMS processes early.
Agree an internal cadence (monthly) for monitoring + update evidence packages.

Compliance work gets funded when the output is forwardable. Use the starter templates to convert obligations into controls and evidence.

Govern · Measure · Prove

KLA Digital turns obligations into controls, controls into measurements, and measurements into exportable evidence.