· AI Governance · 1 min read
High-Risk AI Systems Under the AI Act
What makes an AI system high risk under the EU AI Act, and the obligations that follow.
The heaviest obligations in the EU AI Act fall on high risk AI systems. Knowing whether your system is one is the first compliance decision you have to make.
What counts as high risk
The AI Act treats AI as high risk when it is used in sensitive areas — biometrics, critical infrastructure, education, employment, essential services, law enforcement and more — where a failure could seriously affect people’s rights or safety.
The obligations that follow
High-risk systems must meet requirements for risk management, data governance, technical documentation, transparency, human oversight and robustness, plus a conformity assessment before going to market.
Where this fits
This post supplements the EU AI Act pillar. To build the controls, read AI risk management and consider the AI governance workshop.