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ARTICLE · 29 MAY 2026

The EU’s New “High-Risk AI” Rulebook

The European Commission recently published draft guidelines on the classification of high-risk AI systems under Article 6 of the AI Act. Although the document is non-binding and still open for feedback, the draft guidelines provide the clearest indication to date of how the Commission is likely to interpret one of the most debated aspects of the AI Act in practice: what actually qualifies as a “high-risk AI system”?

European UnionTechnology

When does AI become “high-risk”?

The European Commission recently published draft guidelines on the classification of high-risk AI systems under Article 6 of the AI Act. Although the document is non-binding and still open for feedback, the draft guidelines provide the clearest indication to date of how the Commission is likely to interpret one of the most debated aspects of the AI Act in practice: what actually qualifies as a “high-risk AI system”?

This question is particularly important given that classification as a high-risk AI system triggers extensive compliance obligations, including requirements relating to risk management, documentation, human oversight, monitoring, and governance.

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