EU AI Act glossary · Governance· Art. 57
AI regulatory sandbox
An AI regulatory sandbox (Article 57) is a controlled environment set up by national authorities that lets providers develop, test and validate innovative AI systems under regulatory supervision before market entry. SMEs and start-ups get priority access.
Member States must establish at least one sandbox by 2 August 2026. Sandboxes reduce compliance uncertainty for innovators and give regulators early insight into emerging AI.
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