The EU AI Act is in effect, and other jurisdictions are following. AI regulation isn't just for lawyers—it affects what you can build and how.
EU AI Act: Risk Categories
Unacceptable risk: Banned. Social scoring, real-time biometric identification in public spaces.
High risk: Strict requirements. Healthcare diagnostics, employment decisions, credit scoring.
Limited risk: Transparency obligations. Chatbots, emotion recognition.
Minimal risk: No specific requirements. Most consumer applications.
Transparency Requirements
Users must know when they're interacting with AI. AI-generated content must be labeled. Synthetic media (deepfakes) requires disclosure.
// Disclose AI interaction
function ChatInterface() {
return (
<>
<AIDisclosure />
<ChatMessages />
</>
);
}
function AIDisclosure() {
return (
<div className="ai-notice">
You are chatting with an AI assistant.
</div>
);
}Documentation and Audit Trails
High-risk systems require: technical documentation, risk assessments, data governance records, human oversight procedures, accuracy metrics, and incident logs.
What This Means for Your AI Features
Assess risk category early. Implement transparency measures. Document decisions and data sources. Enable human oversight. Plan for audits.
Practical Checklist
☐ Risk category assessed. ☐ Transparency implemented. ☐ Data sources documented. ☐ Human override available. ☐ Audit trail maintained. ☐ Regular bias testing. ☐ Incident response plan.
Compliance isn't optional, but it's manageable. Build it into your development process from the start rather than retrofitting later.