EU AI Act for SMEs: a practical governance plan — companion videos

The article turns EU AI Act readiness into an operating model: inventory, risk classification, ownership, vendor evidence, human oversight, transparency and records. This companion adds the negotiator's view of the same obligations: the person who led the Act through the Council explains its intent, its phased deadlines and what it concretely expects from smaller companies and their vendors.

Primary pick

29:32

EU AI Act Explained: Turning Compliance into Competitive Advantage | Carme Artigas

MSP GLOBAL

Carme Artigas chaired the Council negotiations that produced the AI Act, and here she explains it to managed service providers — the companies SMEs actually buy AI through. She walks the phased timeline, from the August 2025 GPAI code of practice to the August 2026 conformity-assessment deadline, and the concrete obligations that follow, such as requiring compliance documentation from vendors. That is the same inventory, vendor-evidence and ownership work the article turns into an operating plan.

What you should get from this: Map the Act's phased 2025-2027 deadlines to the vendor-evidence and ownership tasks an SME must schedule now.

Watch or know first: Basic awareness of which AI systems your business runs or buys and of the Act's risk-based approach.

AI Expert note: A negotiator's keynote gives you intent and timeline, not legal advice. Verify current dates, obligations and any timeline adjustments against the latest EU and Estonian guidance before changing policy.

Open video page