Does the EU AI Act require AI training for staff?

What the rule says

Article 4 of the EU AI Act deals with AI literacy. It has applied since 2 February 2025. It covers providers, who develop AI systems, and deployers, who use them in their work. That second group includes ordinary businesses using tools such as ChatGPT or Copilot.

The Act describes AI literacy as the skills, knowledge and understanding people need to use AI in an informed way, and to be aware of its opportunities, its risks and the harm it can cause.

What changed in July 2026

The original wording told businesses to ensure a sufficient level of AI literacy among their staff. The Digital Omnibus on AI, Regulation (EU) 2026/1744, entered into force on 27 July 2026 and reworded the duty.

Businesses must now "take measures to support the development of AI literacy" of their staff and of others who operate AI systems on their behalf. The new text adds that this does not require a business to guarantee any specific level of AI literacy for any individual. The Commission and member states must also support businesses in meeting the duty, small and mid-sized ones in particular.

So the duty was softened, not removed. You are expected to make a real effort that suits your situation. You are not expected to prove what each person knows.

What counts as taking measures

The Act does not prescribe a course, a number of hours or a certificate. Measures should reflect your people’s knowledge and experience, the setting AI is used in and the people affected by it. For a small business, sensible measures include:

• Basic training: A session covering what the tools do, where they go wrong and how to check output.

• Clear rules: A short AI acceptable use policy that staff have read and understood.

• Role-specific guidance: More depth for people who use AI on sensitive work, such as recruitment or customer decisions.

• A simple record: A note of who was trained, when and on what. It shows the effort you made if anyone asks.

Does it apply to UK businesses?

Only where the Act reaches you. A UK business is in scope if it places AI systems on the EU market or if the output of its AI is used in the EU. The detail is in whether the EU AI Act applies to UK businesses. The UK has no equivalent rule of its own.

Contractors and freelancers count where they operate AI on your behalf, so include them in your guidance.

Why it is worth doing anyway

Even outside the Act’s reach, the measures are the same ones that reduce everyday risk: people who know what the tools are good at, what must stay out of them and when to check. Clients increasingly ask about this too.

Training supports the duty, but no course makes a business "EU AI Act compliant" by itself. How regulators will apply Article 4 in practice is still developing, so take advice on your own position if you have significant EU exposure.