Bringing AI use into compliance can feel overwhelming, but it becomes manageable when broken into clear steps. This checklist gives European businesses a practical starting point — whether you build AI, buy it, or simply use it inside everyday tools.
1. Know what you are running
Create an inventory of every AI system in use, including features embedded in third-party software. You cannot govern what you have not mapped.
2. Classify the risk
For each system, identify its purpose and the risk tier it falls into under the EU AI Act. Pay special attention to anything touching hiring, credit, or access to services.
3. Get your documentation in order
- Record the intended purpose, data sources, and known limitations of each system.
- Keep evidence of testing and human oversight.
- Maintain a log of changes and incidents.
4. Address data protection
AI and GDPR are inseparable. Confirm a lawful basis for the personal data your models use, and run a data protection impact assessment for higher-risk cases.
5. Assign accountability
Name an owner for AI governance and give them the authority to pause or change systems. Compliance without ownership rarely survives contact with a busy roadmap.
Work through these steps in order and revisit them quarterly. The goal is not perfection on day one, but a defensible, improving position you can stand behind.
