Who does the EU AI Act really apply to?

The AI Act is EU Regulation 2024/1689, the world's first law on artificial intelligence. It applies directly in every EU member state. No national implementing law is needed. Most of its rules target companies that develop and sell AI. But one obligation applies to everyone who uses AI: train your people and be able to prove it.

Checklist: does the AI Act apply to your company?

• Does anyone at your company use ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini or any other AI tool, even just for emails and translations?
• Is AI anywhere in your hiring, employee evaluation or customer communication?
• Do you sell a product or service with AI built in?

If even one answer is yes, you are what the regulation calls a deployer, and the obligation under Article 4 applies to you too. The law has no exemption by size or industry. A deployer is any natural or legal person using an AI system under its own authority.

Does it apply to sole traders too?

Yes. The scope is tied to your role, not your size. The European Commission's official explanation explicitly states that freelance activity and regular economic benefit mean professional use. The only exception is purely personal, non-professional use, for example at home.

What exactly you need to have

Three things. Trained people. Everyone who uses AI at work. A record that they completed the training and understand what they need to know when working with AI. And the ability to prove it when someone asks.

The fastest way to sort it out

A sole trader or a small company can handle it with ready-made online training with a test and a certificate in a few hours. A company with departments also needs records and onboarding for new people. A large company adds an internal policy and a status audit. We've laid out exactly how on the AI Act & compliance page.