Few pieces of regulation have created as much uncertainty in leadership circles as the European Union's AI Act. The reason lies less in the text than in the news cycle: six days before the big deadline, the most demanding obligations were postponed — but not all of them. Anyone who read the headline only halfway either believes everything applies now, or that nothing applies for the time being. Both lead to wrong decisions.
This talk clears that up in a single session. It separates what applies today from what can wait — and it names the governance a company should build now, rather than starting under time pressure in 2027.
What applies today
The transparency obligations under Article 50 of Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 have applied since 2 August 2026. Anyone operating an AI system that people interact with directly must disclose it — the chatbot in customer service as much as the voice agent on the hotline. For the marking of machine-generated content under Article 50(2), the regulation gives systems placed on the market before 2 August 2026 until 2 December 2026. Also in force are the rules for providers of general-purpose AI models and the list of prohibited practices. The enforcement machinery is in place, and breaches of the transparency rules carry substantial fines.
The Digital Omnibus — Regulation (EU) 2026/1744, in force since 27 July 2026 — postponed the obligations for high-risk systems: stand-alone systems under Annex III to 2 December 2027, systems embedded in regulated products under Annex I to 2 August 2028. That buys time. It does not settle the liability question, and it does not change the fact that the systems concerned are being built and procured today.
Who the talk is for
For the groups that have to decide without being lawyers:
- Management and executive boards that want to know what risk they actually carry
- Division and department heads accountable for AI initiatives
- Compliance, legal and data protection functions that need a shared language with the business
- Supervisory and advisory boards meeting their oversight duty
- Chambers, associations and networks bringing their members up to date
- Leadership and management conferences where compliance and the business sit at the same table
What the talk covers
- Which obligations apply today and which were postponed — with a clear dividing line
- Why "postponed" does not mean "done", and what that means for procurement in progress
- The three questions to answer before any compliance measure
- Who inside the company answers for an AI outcome — and how that accountability is written down
- Which governance building blocks can be put in place now at reasonable cost
What your group can do afterwards
After the talk your group knows the three questions to answer before any compliance measure — and can judge where its own organisation currently stands. The result is not legal advice but a shared basis for decisions, one that compliance, the business and leadership can keep working from within the same frame.
