AI regulation is no longer future concern—it’s present reality. The EU AI Act is being enforced. Other jurisdictions have followed. Compliance is now a prerequisite for AI deployment, not an afterthought.
Here’s how to navigate the regulatory landscape.
The Regulatory Landscape
Current Requirements
regulation_status_2026:
eu_ai_act:
status: "Enforcing"
scope: "All AI systems in EU market"
key_requirements:
- Risk classification
- Transparency obligations
- Technical documentation
- Human oversight
us_framework:
status: "State and federal mix"
key_areas:
- AI Bill of Rights (voluntary)
- Sector-specific rules
- State laws (Colorado, etc.)
global:
- China: AI governance law
- UK: Pro-innovation framework
- Canada: AIDA implementation
Risk Classification
eu_ai_act_risk_tiers:
unacceptable:
banned: "Social scoring, manipulation"
high_risk:
areas:
- Employment decisions
- Credit assessment
- Legal/safety systems
requirements:
- Conformity assessment
- Quality management
- Human oversight
- Incident reporting
limited_risk:
requirements:
- Transparency (chatbots, etc.)
- User notification
minimal_risk:
requirements: "Basic good practice"
Compliance Approach
Documentation Requirements
ai_documentation:
system_description:
- Purpose and intended use
- Technical specifications
- Capabilities and limitations
- Risk assessment
data_governance:
- Training data description
- Data quality measures
- Bias mitigation
monitoring:
- Performance metrics
- Incident logging
- Update procedures
Implementation Checklist
compliance_checklist:
assessment:
- Classify AI systems by risk
- Identify applicable regulations
- Gap analysis
documentation:
- Technical documentation
- Risk assessments
- Quality management system
technical:
- Logging and monitoring
- Human oversight mechanisms
- Transparency features
organizational:
- Governance structure
- Roles and responsibilities
- Training programs
Key Takeaways
- AI regulation is now enforced reality
- Risk classification determines requirements
- Documentation is extensive but achievable
- Build compliance into development process
- Stay updated on evolving requirements
- Cross-border considerations matter
Compliance is the price of AI in production. Pay it.