AI in your company? Here is what you need to know about the new rules

Artificial Intelligence. Chances are it is already integrated into your business processes. For example, do you use ChatGPT, a chatbot, or smart software for advertising, customer contact, or recruitment? Then pay attention, because from August 2026, it will become important to handle AI more consciously.

In a nutshell

A new law is coming: the EU AI Act. That sounds like something for lawyers, policymakers, and large tech companies. But this law will also have implications for entrepreneurs, marketing teams, and organizations that use AI in their communication, processes, or customer contact. 

There is no reason to panic, but it is important to prepare for it in advance. For example, you need to know where you deploy AI, what the risks are, and when you need to be transparent with your customer, employee, or visitor. We will explain it further for you. 

What is the EU AI Act?

The EU AI Act is the European law that sets rules for the development and use of AI. This law is being implemented step by step. From August 2, 2026, many rules will apply more broadly, including rules regarding transparency and the use of certain AI systems.

The goal? To deploy AI safely, fairly, and in a verifiable manner. Not to stifle innovation, but to prevent AI from misleading people, discriminating, or making decisions without oversight. For you as an organization, this primarily means: using AI is allowed, but not thoughtlessly.

When does this affect your organization?

There is a good chance that your company is already using AI. Sometimes consciously, sometimes hidden within tools you use daily. Think of: 

• Writing or rewriting texts with AI;
• Creating images, videos, or advertisements with AI;
• A chatbot on your website;
• Automated email flows or personalized content;
• AI in recruitment procedures;
• Tools that analyze customer behavior;
• Software that assists with planning, selection, or evaluation.

Do you use AI only as a tool for ideas, draft texts, or internal efficiency? Then the risks are usually limited. Do you deploy AI towards customers, employees, or job applicants? Then it becomes more important to look closely at transparency, privacy, and human oversight. 

Transparency is becoming more important

One of the most visible changes concerns transparency. People need to know that they are dealing with AI in certain situations. 

For example, when someone chats with an AI chatbot. Or when an image, video, or voice has been artificially created or modified. Think of deepfakes, synthetic voices, or visuals that look very realistic but are not real. As soon as AI content can be confusing or misleading, you must make clear what is real and what was created using AI. 

An example:
An AI-generated atmospheric image accompanying a blog post? That is perfectly fine. A fake interview or video in which someone appears to say something that was never actually said. In that case, transparency is necessary.

Be careful with AI that influences decisions 

Not all AI is the same. The EU AI Act works with risk levels. The greater the potential impact on people, the stricter the rules. 

Do you use AI for recruitment, personnel assessment, credit assessment, education, healthcare, or other sensitive processes? Then you may encounter high-risk AI. In that case, stricter requirements apply, such as risk management, documentation, human oversight, and data quality control.

Source: European Commission 

What can you do now?

What can you do now to be prepared for regulations in August? Here are five logical first steps: 

1. Create an AI overview:
   Which AI tools do you use? Also look at design software, advertising platforms, CRM systems, chatbots, and recruitment tools.
2. Determine what you use AI for:
   Do you use AI internally, for customer communication, or for decisions regarding people? That distinction is important.
3. Agree on what is and isn't allowed:
   Create a short AI guideline for your team. What can you input? What do you need to monitor? When can AI output be released externally?
4. Always check with a human:
   AI is fast, but not flawless. Always have texts, images, claims, and customer communications reviewed by someone before they go live.
5. Be transparent where necessary:
   Are you using an AI chatbot? Make that clear. Are you using AI for realistic images, voices, or videos? Think carefully about labeling and context.

AI offers opportunities, if organized well

AI is here to stay. The question is therefore not whether you should start working with it, but how to do so properly. For organizations, the challenge lies in balance. You want to benefit from speed, creativity, and efficiency, but also remain reliable, careful, and recognizable. Especially when AI becomes visible in your communication with customers, job applicants, or employees.

Would you like to know more about what this EU AI Act means for you, or how you can use AI to help your organization move forward? Then contact us; we would be happy to take a look with you.

*This text was created using AI 😉