EU AI Pact

The EU AI Pact is the European Commission's way of saying 'we know the AI Act is complex, so let's work through this together'. It's a voluntary initiative that lets organisations start preparing for AI Act compliance before the mandatory deadlines hit. Over 100 companies have already signed up, from tech giants to SMEs, which tells you something about how seriously businesses are taking this.

The Pact has two pillars: a collaborative community where signatories share experiences and best practices, and voluntary pledges with three core commitments—establishing AI governance, mapping high-risk AI systems and promoting AI literacy among staff. There are additional optional commitments you can make as well. Think of it as a safe space to test your compliance approach and learn from others doing the same thing.

For you, this matters if you're doing business in or with the EU. Joining the Pact demonstrates good faith commitment to the AI Act, even while you're still working out the details of compliance. It gives you access to a community of practice, which is valuable when you're navigating something as complex as the AI Act. It also signals to customers and partners that you're taking trustworthy AI seriously. Our view? If you're significantly exposed to the EU market, this is worth considering. The collaborative learning aspect alone justifies participation. Just make sure you can actually deliver on the commitments you pledge—signing up and then doing nothing would be worse than not joining at all.