U.S.-based businesses that operate high-risk artificial intelligence (AI) systems should be mindful of the August 2, 2026, compliance deadline under the European Union Artificial Intelligence Act (EU AI Act). The EU AI Act has been implemented in phases since February 2025, with most remaining provisions taking effect on August 2, 2026, excluding Article 6(1), which will apply in August 2027. The upcoming regulation will apply to operators of high-risk AI systems that were placed on the market prior to August 2, 2026. Although the regulation is by a European authority, U.S. companies operating high-risk AI systems may be required to follow compliance measures.
High-risk AI systems include those that are intended to be used for product safety measures as described in Annex I of the EU AI Act or among the specific use-case categories listed in Annex III. The use cases that fall under the high-risk system classification include AI systems used for biometric identification, critical
