The EU AI Act Explained: What Every Professional Needs to Know

The EU AI Act applies to every organisation that uses, develops or procures AI tools, not only to the companies that build them. Yet most professionals have not had the chance to understand what it actually requires of them, or when.

This 4-hour session explains the Act in plain language, without legal jargon. You will learn how AI systems are classified by risk, what obligations apply to your organisation as a user or deployer of AI, and, the part that is most often reported wrongly, which of those obligations already apply and which are a build programme for the years ahead. The prohibited practices have applied since February 2025; the transparency duty and the enforcement architecture since August 2026; the high-risk requirements from December 2027. You will leave able to work that out for yourself, for any obligation, rather than relying on a headline.

Through examples drawn from everyday workplace scenarios (HR software, content generation tools, meeting assistants), you will classify one AI tool your own team uses and write a short scoping memo to take back to your organisation.

No legal background is required. This session is designed for any professional who uses AI tools at work, manages teams that do, or is responsible for compliance. It is the right starting point before the full-day EU AI Act Compliance in Practice workshop (ACT-B).

• The EU AI Act's risk classification system — from prohibited to minimal risk
• Prohibited AI practices, including the ones that can be carried out with everyday tools
• High-risk AI in the workplace: HR tools, assessment systems, and more
• Obligations for organisations that deploy AI without building it, and how an organisation can become a provider without realising it
• Which obligations apply now and which apply later, and the method for working that out yourself, for any obligation

By the end of this training, the participant will be able to:

• Explain the four risk categories of the EU AI Act in plain language
• Identify whether a specific AI tool or workplace use case falls within the Act's scope
• Describe the key obligations for organisations that deploy (but do not build) AI systems
•  Determine which obligations already apply to their organisation and which are a longer build programme, and name their immediate next steps

Trainer-led explanation combined with scenario-based discussion exercises. No coding or legal background required. Scenarios drawn from real workplace contexts.