AI Training Obligation under the EU AI Act (Art. 4)
Article 4 of the EU AI Regulation requires businesses to ensure AI competency of their staff. Learn what this means for your organisation.
With the EU AI Act (Regulation (EU) 2024/1689), the European Union has created the first binding legal framework for Artificial Intelligence. Article 4 stipulates that providers and deployers of AI systems must ensure their personnel has sufficient AI competency.
This training obligation applies regardless of the AI system's risk class and affects all businesses that develop, deploy or provide AI systems – from startups to large corporations.
What does Article 4 specifically require?
Art. 4 of the AI Regulation requires providers and deployers to take measures to ensure a sufficient level of AI competency among their staff. This includes technical knowledge as well as awareness of risks and ethical aspects.
"Providers and deployers of AI systems shall take measures to ensure, to their best extent, a sufficient level of AI literacy of their staff and other persons dealing with the operation and use of AI systems on their behalf [...]"
— Art. 4 para. 1, Regulation (EU) 2024/1689
Who is affected by the training obligation?
Management & Board
Strategic decisions on AI deployment require foundational knowledge of risks, compliance and liability under the EU AI Act.
Compliance & Data Protection
Compliance officers and DPOs must understand AI-specific requirements for transparency, documentation and fundamental rights.
IT & Product Development
Developers and IT teams need technical understanding of data quality, testing and monitoring requirements.
HR & Business Units
All departments using AI tools (e.g. recruiting, marketing, customer service) must understand the risks and limitations of AI.
Recommended training content
EU AI Act fundamentals: scope, risk classes and core obligations
Risk classification: How are AI systems classified and what does it mean for your business?
Transparency and labeling obligations under Art. 50 and Art. 52
Documentation obligations: technical documentation, conformity assessment, risk management
Ethical aspects: fairness, non-discrimination, human oversight
Practical implementation: governance structures, reporting obligations and internal processes
Deadlines for the training obligation
The training obligation under Art. 4 has been in force since 2 February 2025. Businesses should already be conducting documented training measures.
Art. 4 AI competency
2 February 2025 (already in force)
High-risk AI obligations
2 August 2026
Training obligation by company size
| Company size | Training scope | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| SME (< 250 employees) | Basic training for all AI-using staff | Online courses, compact workshops, e-learning |
| Mid-size (250–1,000) | Role-specific training + basics | Blended learning, internal champions, external trainers |
| Enterprise (> 1,000) | Comprehensive programme with certification | AI governance team, regular refreshers, audit trail |
Practical example: AI training in a mid-size company
A manufacturing company with 500 employees uses AI-powered quality control (high-risk AI). The company built a three-tier training programme: (1) Foundation training for all managers (2 hours), (2) Specialist training for QA and IT teams (8 hours), (3) Advanced training for the AI officer with external certification. Training is documented and refreshed annually – as evidence for the supervisory authority.
Related topics
Source: Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 June 2024. EUR-Lex Volltext
Check which obligations apply to your business now.