The EU AI Act Newsletter

Digital Omnibus deal struck, transparency guidelines out for consultation, and whether the AI Act is ready for agents.
Legislative Process
EU agrees to simplify AI rules to boost innovation and ban ‘nudification’ apps to protect citizens: The European Commission welcomes the political agreement reached between the European Parliament and the Council of the EU on the Digital Omnibus on AI. Under the deal, rules for high-risk AI systems will apply from 2 December 2027. Rules for systems embedded in products like lifts or toys will apply from 2 August 2028. In addition, the agreement prohibits AI systems generating non-consensual sexually explicit content or child sexual abuse material, including ‘nudification’ apps. For businesses, certain SME privileges are extended to small mid-caps, the interplay with the Machinery Regulation is clarified, and access to regulatory sandboxes, including an EU-level one, is broadened. The AI Office's enforcement powers are also strengthened, particularly over general-purpose models and systems embedded in very large online platforms and search engines. The Parliament and Council must now formally adopt the agreement, after which it will enter into force three days following publication in the Official Journal.
Commission opens consultation on draft guidelines for AI transparency obligations: The [...]
---
Outline:
(00:37) Legislative Process
(04:30) Analyses
(07:32) Discussion about this post
(07:36) Ready for more?
---

First published:

May 20th, 2026


Source:

https://artificialintelligenceact.substack.com/p/the-eu-ai-act-newsletter-102-pressure

---

Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

---
Images from the article:
Apple Podcasts and Spotify do not show images in the episode description. Try Pocket Casts, or another podcast app.

Talks on delaying the AI Act collapse over industrial AI, Merz diverges from his coalition partner, and Parliament invites Anthropic to a hearing on the Mythos model.
Legislative Process
EU legislators fail to clinch deal to delay AI law: Pieter Haeck from POLITICO describes how EU legislators failed to agree on a rollback of the bloc's AI rules, with requirements for machinery and medical devices emerging as the main sticking point. After hours of talks, negotiators from the European Parliament and EU countries parted ways without a deal that would have delayed a key part of the AI Act until December 2027 and banned AI nudification apps, and no date has been set to resume discussions. Because new rules for high-risk AI applications are due to apply this August, the collapse tightens the timeline to avoid legal uncertainty. At the heart of the dispute, the centre-right in Parliament, backed by Germany, is pushing to let products such as machinery and medical devices comply with sectoral law rather than the AI Act, a move opposed by several member states and the centre-left.
Merz's coalition partner opposed his push to cut EU's AI rules: Maximilian Henning, reporting for Euractiv, reveals [...]
---
Outline:
(00:36) Legislative Process
(04:04) Analyses
(08:06) Tools & Resources
(08:57) Discussion about this post
(09:00) Ready for more?
---

First published:

May 4th, 2026


Source:

https://artificialintelligenceact.substack.com/p/the-eu-ai-act-newsletter-101-trilogue

---

Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

---
Images from the article:
Apple Podcasts and Spotify do not show images in the episode description. Try Pocket Casts, or another podcast app.

Celebrating 100 editions of the newsletter with Virkkunen's vision for the AI Continent, the Omnibus endgame, and Europe's frontier AI access question.
This is the 100th edition of the newsletter. To mark the occasion, I've opened an Ask Me Anything in the Substack chat – questions, reflections and predictions all welcome.
Legislative Process
Building AI the European way: Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, reflects on the first year of the Commission's AI Continent Action Plan, which was built around five pillars: infrastructure, data, skills, adoption and simplification. On the infrastructure side, 19 AI Factories have been deployed across European supercomputers, whilst the proposed AI Gigafactories concept has already attracted 76 expressions of interest spanning 16 Member States. Turning to adoption, €1 billion in funding calls has been mobilised for strategic sectors, alongside targeted initiatives such as AI-powered cancer and cardiovascular screening centres and a Grand Challenge competition to develop sovereign European AI models. Meanwhile, the AI Omnibus, delivered in November, seeks to adjust the the AI Act's timeline and address implementation challenges. Virkkunen frames these together as a distinctly European approach that manages risk whilst encouraging innovation. Finally, she announces a forthcoming tech [...]
---
Outline:
(00:49) Legislative Process
(02:06) Analyses
(07:29) Whats Next?
(08:30) Discussion about this post
(08:34) Ready for more?
---

First published:

April 20th, 2026


Source:

https://artificialintelligenceact.substack.com/p/the-eu-ai-act-newsletter-100-the

---

Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

---
Images from the article:
Apple Podcasts and Spotify do not show images in the episode description. Try Pocket Casts, or another podcast app.

Beyond the "US innovates, Europe regulates" divide..
Legislative Process
MEPs agree on proposals to simplify AI rules: The European Parliament adopted its position on an AI Act simplification proposal with 569 votes in favour, 45 against and 23 abstentions. Notably, the proposal delays rules for high-risk AI systems to allow implementation guidance and standards preparation. MEPs introduce fixed application dates: 2 December 2027 for high-risk systems and 2 August 2028 for systems covered by EU sectoral safety legislation. Additionally, MEPs grant providers until 2 November 2026 for watermarking compliance. They’re introducing a ban on “nudifier” systems that create or manipulate sexually explicit images of identifiable people without consent. This excludes systems with effective safeguards. Furthermore, MEPs permit personal data processing to detect and correct biases in AI system provided strict necessity safeguards are in place. They back extending SME support measures to small mid-cap enterprises. MEPs argue that AI Act obligations can be less stringent for products already regulated under sectoral laws. Following the Parliament's adoption, negotiations with the Council on the law's final form can now begin.
Analyses
Beyond “US Innovates, Europe Regulates”: Julia Tréhu, Program Manager and Fellow, and Adrienne Goldstein, Senior Program Coordinator, at the [...]
---
Outline:
(00:30) Legislative Process
(01:56) Analyses
(08:37) Discussion about this post
(08:41) Ready for more?
---

First published:

April 7th, 2026


Source:

https://artificialintelligenceact.substack.com/p/the-eu-ai-act-newsletter-99-bridging

---

Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

---
Images from the article:
Apple Podcasts and Spotify do not show images in the episode description. Try Pocket Casts, or another podcast app.

MEPs adopted a joint position on simplifying the AI Act with 101 votes in favour, nine against and eight abstentions. The Council agreed on streamlining AI rules..
Legislative Process
MEPs support postponement of certain rules: Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) adopted a joint position on simplifying the AI Act, with 101 votes in favour, 9 against and 8 abstentions. Notably, the proposal supports postponing activation of certain high-risk AI system rules, given that key standards may not be finalised by the 2 August 2026 deadline. To ensure predictability, MEPs propose fixed application dates: 2 December 2027 for high-risk systems and 2 August 2028 for systems covered by EU sectorial safety legislation. In addition, MEPs favour shorter watermarking compliance extensions until 2 November 2026. Separately, they introduce a ban on “nudifier” systems creating or manipulating sexually explicit images resembling identifiable persons without consent, excluding systems with effective safeguards. They also back extending SME support measures to small mid-cap enterprises. Following the Parliament's plenary vote expected on 26 March, negotiations with the Council will commence.
Council agrees its position to streamline rules: The Council has agreed its position on streamlining AI rules, treating the proposal with utmost priority. Member [...]
---
Outline:
(00:41) Legislative Process
(03:09) Analyses
(09:18) Discussion about this post
(09:22) Ready for more?
---

First published:

March 24th, 2026


Source:

https://artificialintelligenceact.substack.com/p/the-eu-ai-act-newsletter-98-parliament

---

Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

---
Images from the article:
Apple Podcasts and Spotify do not show images in the episode description. Try Pocket Casts, or another podcast app.