EU AI Act

The EU AI Act establishes a risk-based regulatory framework for artificial intelligence systems placed on the EU market or used within the EU. It classifies AI systems into four tiers: unacceptable risk (banned), high risk (subject to conformity assessments and ongoing obligations), limited risk (transparency obligations), and minimal risk (largely unregulated).

AI systems used for biometric identification, identity verification, and certain law enforcement purposes fall into the high-risk category. These systems must meet requirements around data quality, documentation, human oversight, accuracy, robustness, and cybersecurity. Providers must maintain technical documentation and register high-risk systems in an EU database.

Real-time biometric identification in public spaces is prohibited with narrow exceptions. Emotion recognition in workplaces and educational settings is also restricted.

For CIAM, the AI Act is relevant when AI-driven features such as biometric authentication, fraud scoring, or identity proofing are part of the customer identity flow. Compliance requires transparency, accuracy monitoring, and human oversight.

Sources

• Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 (Artificial Intelligence Act): https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1689/oj