Privacy & Cybersecurity Law Blog

Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP is pleased to release a new AI Act Guide for In-House Lawyers, providing a comprehensive yet practical roadmap for businesses to comply with the European Union’s AI Act, the world’s first comprehensive legal framework governing artificial intelligence.

The guide is designed to help legal and compliance teams understand the Act’s scope, key concepts, and regulatory obligations. It offers clear insights into the types of AI systems, the applicable requirements, and the interplay with the EU General Data Protection Regulation and other EU legislation.

The key areas covered in the guide include:

Types of AI Systems: The guide outlines the risk-based classification of AI systems, providing decision trees to help businesses determine the type of AI systems they are using or providing and what compliance measures they should implement.

Obligations for Providers and Deployers: The guide provides practical steps for businesses acting as providers (those placing AI systems on the market) and deployers (those using AI systems under their own authority) in key compliance areas such as risk management, data governance and human oversight.

Supervision, Enforcement and Penalties: The guide explains how EU and national authorities will monitor compliance through market surveillance, regulatory sandboxes and mandatory post-market monitoring. The AI Office will oversee enforcement at the EU level, and national authorities will handle investigations and sanctions. Businesses that fail to comply with the AI Act face significant penalties.

“With the EU AI Act set to reshape the regulatory landscape, businesses should ensure that they are carefully assessing their AI strategies,” said Lisa Sotto, chair of Hunton’s Privacy and Cybersecurity practice. “The AI Act introduces a phased compliance timeline, with key obligations rolling out between 2025 and 2027. This guide translates the requirements into actionable steps, equipping businesses with the necessary tools to navigate regulatory complexities and build AI systems that are ethical, compliant and resilient.”

Download a copy of the guide.