EU AI Act after August 2: what small businesses must label
The EU AI Act is entering a new phase. Learn what a small business should label, what it costs and what you really do not need to do.
On August 2, 2026 the EU AI Act stopped being a Brussels slogan. You do not need a legal team to get started: most of the work is visible labelling, basic documentation and a sensible process.
What changed? 🚀
Transparency obligations became applicable and market-surveillance powers became operational. High-risk system obligations were postponed: standalone systems now start on December 2, 2027, and product-embedded systems on August 2, 2028.
⛔ MYTH: “The AI Act only concerns Big Tech”
FACT: Providers and deployers of certain AI systems are in scope. If you sell a chatbot or publish AI-generated content, transparency rules can apply to you. That does not mean AI is off-limits; it means users must be able to see what they are dealing with.
💡 Pro tip
Create a 15-minute spreadsheet: tool name, purpose, personal data, customer contact, generated content, owner. That is often enough for honest first steps.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Does the AI Act apply to my website chatbot?
- Yes, if users can interact with it. From August 2, 2026 you must inform users that they are talking to AI and ensure content generated by AI can be detected. In practice, a small business starts with a visible “AI assistant” notice, documentation and clear ownership – not with a certification.
Michał Grycz
Software engineer and founder of MGSupport. Designs and builds high-performance web systems, e-commerce, and business automations.