Article 6 of the EU AI Act: High-Risk Classification Rules
Article 6 is the gateway to the Act's heaviest obligations: it defines which AI systems are high-risk. Get this classification right and everything else follows; get it wrong and you either over-comply or face enforcement.
What Article 6 requires
A system is high-risk in two ways: (1) it is a safety component of a product covered by the EU harmonisation legislation in Annex I and requires third-party conformity assessment; or (2) it is used for one of the purposes listed in Annex III. Article 6 also provides a narrow filter: an Annex III system may not be high-risk if it does not pose a significant risk of harm (e.g. it performs a narrow procedural task), but profiling of individuals is always high-risk.
Who it binds
Classification determines the obligations of providers and deployers. Providers who consider an Annex III system not high-risk must document that assessment and register it.
Key points
- Two routes to high-risk: Annex I product-safety components, or Annex III use cases.
- A narrow exception exists for Annex III systems that don't pose significant harm — but profiling is always high-risk.
- Most Annex III high-risk obligations apply from 2 August 2026.
FAQ
How do I know if my AI is high-risk?
Check whether it performs an Annex III function (e.g. recruitment, credit scoring, biometrics) or is a safety component of a regulated product under Annex I. The free checker classifies it deterministically.
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