EU AI Act Phased Enforcement Timeline Unveiled

EU AI Act Phased Enforcement Timeline Unveiled, Compliance Checks Launched on 30+ AI Giants Including OpenAI, Anthropic, Meta

The European Union has officially unveiled the phased enforcement timeline for the EU AI Act, marking the transition of the world's first comprehensive artificial intelligence law from consensus to implementation. Per the schedule: from December 2, 2026, prohibitions on non-consensual intimate deepfakes and child sexual exploitation AI content take effect, alongside mandatory AI-generated content labeling obligations; from December 2, 2027, standalone high-risk AI system regulations apply fully; from August 2, 2028, embedded high-risk AI system rules become effective. The EU AI Office has held formal investigative and penalty powers since August 2026, with fines of up to EUR 15 million or 3% of global annual turnover. The EU has already issued safety and copyright compliance information requests to over 30 leading AI companies including OpenAI, Anthropic, and Meta, launching a large-scale industry compliance audit focusing on foundation model security, training data copyright, and generated content governance. Against a backdrop of frequent global AI safety incidents, the EU's approach provides a "hard law" governance reference for other jurisdictions.