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EU AI Act Compliance Checklist

Use this checklist to turn the EU AI Act from a legal framework into an execution plan. It is built for SaaS teams, compliance leads, and founders that need to identify gaps before August 2, 2026.

The fastest first step is to inventory every AI system, classify risk, then map high-risk systems against Articles 8-15.

1. Build an AI system inventory

List every model, workflow, chatbot, scoring system, recommender, classifier, and AI-assisted decision point in the product. Include internal tools when their output affects customers, employees, applicants, or EU users.

  • System name, owner, vendor, model provider, and deployment environment
  • Purpose, input data, output type, and affected user group
  • Whether the output materially influences a human decision

2. Classify each system by risk level

Check for prohibited practices first, then Annex III high-risk categories, then Article 50 transparency duties. Do not assume a vendor classification covers your deployer obligations.

  • Article 5 prohibited practices
  • Article 6 and Annex III high-risk categories
  • Article 50 chatbot, deepfake, and AI-generated content transparency

3. Map high-risk systems to Articles 8-15

For high-risk systems, prepare evidence for risk management, data governance, technical documentation, logging, transparency, human oversight, accuracy, robustness, and cybersecurity.

4. Create remediation owners

Assign each missing control to a product, engineering, legal, or security owner. Track severity, required evidence, and the date when the control is expected to be complete.

Direct answers

What is the first EU AI Act compliance step?

The first step is creating an AI system inventory. Without an inventory, risk classification and Article 8-15 gap analysis will be incomplete.

Does the checklist apply to non-EU companies?

Yes, if the AI system is placed on the EU market or its output is used in the EU. The Act can apply outside the EU.

Can a startup complete this without lawyers?

A startup can do first-pass inventory, classification, and evidence collection internally. Legal review is still recommended for high-risk or prohibited practice findings.

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