AI brings opportunities, but also liability. With the EU AI Act, governance, documentation, and training are no longer "nice to have".
The good news: you prevent sanctions mostly through control. And control is built step by step.
Where does "€35 million" come from?
The AI Act uses different fine categories. In the most severe case, this can amount to €35 million or 7% of global annual turnover (whichever is higher), depending on the violation.
Exact application depends on the type of violation, role (provider/deployer), and context. Treat this article as a practical approach, not as legal advice.
Step by step: how to lower your AI Act risk
- 1) Create an AI inventory: which tools/models are used, by whom, for which processes?
- 2) Classify use cases: where is there high risk (impact on people, rights, safety)?
- 3) Establish governance: ownership, approval processes, escalation, and incident response.
- 4) Ensure AI literacy: train and assess employees (role-based) and document the evidence.
- 5) Manage vendors: contracts, data flows, security requirements, and responsibilities.
- 6) Monitor and improve: periodic reviews, updates for new tooling, and lessons learned.
Common mistakes
- No central inventory → Shadow AI and invisible risks.
- Training without assessment → no demonstrability.
- Unclear roles → nobody is accountable during incidents.
- No periodic updates → policy and knowledge become outdated quickly.
Conclusion: compliance is a system
To avoid AI Act sanctions, you need to organise governance, skills, and evidence as an ongoing process.
Qrio helps with training, assessment, and dashboards — so you're not only compliant, but can prove it too.