EU AI Act enforcement begins 2 August: what commerce teams must do now
22 July 2026
On 2 August 2026 the EU AI Act reaches full enforcement. Fines run up to €35 million or 7% of global turnover. Most commerce businesses are not building high-risk AI systems — but that does not mean nothing applies to you. Four obligations deserve attention this week:
1. Inventory your AI systems. List every AI tool your business uses and classify each by the Act's risk tiers.
2. Meet transparency requirements. Customers interacting with a chatbot must be told they are talking to AI. AI-generated content presented to the public must be identifiable as such.
3. Ensure AI literacy. The Act requires that staff using AI systems have adequate training. Document what training exists and close the gaps.
4. Check your vendors. You remain responsible as a deployer. Our AI vendor evaluation guide covers what to request.
For the full step-by-step preparation list, use our EU AI Act checklist — updated July 2026.