AI Act: what it concretely changes for a data architect
The European regulation is live. Risk classification, audit trails, model documentation — here's what changes in architectural practice, not in compliance decks.
The European Artificial Intelligence Act has been in force since August 2024. The first formal obligations applied from February 2025 for unacceptable risk systems, and from August 2025 for high-risk systems. The fines provided — up to 30 million euros or 6% of global turnover for the most serious violations — have transformed what was a public policy debate into an operational governance problem.
The question that interests a data architect is not "what does the regulation say?" There are lawyers and DPOs for that. The useful question is: "what does it concretely change in how I design a system?"
This article is available on request.
Full content is accessible after reaching out. I regularly share analyses, field notes, and case studies with people who ask.
Request access