EU pushes AI Act deadlines for high-risk systems, including biometrics

The EU has reached a provisional agreement on changes to the AI Act that postpone rules on high-risk AI systems, including those that rely on biometrics. The changes also include a ban on non-consensual sexualized deepfakes and simpler rules for businesses.

The deal on the AI Act simplification package, known as the digital omnibus, was reached by the European Parliament and the Council of the EU on Thursday. The deal still has to be formally adopted.

According to the agreement, compliance deadlines for developers of high-risk AI systems would be pushed from August to December 2nd, 2027, to ensure technical standards are ready. High-risk AI applications include those in the fields of biometrics, law enforcement, critical infrastructure, education, employment, migration, asylum and border control.

AI systems that generate non-consensual sexually explicit and intimate content or child sexual abuse material will be prohibited, according to the omnibus. Companies will have until December 2nd, 2026, to ensure compliance.

The rule on “nudification” apps was prompted by a surge in sexualized deepfakes online, including those made by X’s chatbot Grok.

The digital omnibus was first proposed in November last year with the goal of offering simpler rules for businesses. The new changes clarify the relationship between the AI Act and EU product safety rules. The European Commission’s AI Office also received more oversight powers for general-purpose AI models and AI systems embedded in very large online platforms (VLOPs) and very large search engines.

Support measures for small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) will be extended to small mid-cap enterprises (SMCs), while more innovators will gain access to regulatory sandboxes, the Commission says.

“With simpler and innovation-friendly rules, we make it easier to innovate without lowering the bar on safety. We are also making sure the tools supporting EU companies for a smooth implementation of the AI Act are ready,” Henna Virkkunen, executive vice-president for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, said in a statement.

Article Topics

AI Act  |  biometrics  |  Europe  |  legislation