What is “AI literacy” under the EU AI Act?
AI literacy is a defined concept in EU AI Act Article 4: providers and deployers of AI systems must take measures to ensure a sufficient level of AI literacy of their staff and other persons dealing with the operation and use of AI systems on their behalf. The obligation applies from 2 February 2025 — the first AI Act provision to enter into force.
What “sufficient level” means
The Act defines AI literacy as the skills, knowledge and understanding that allow providers, deployers and affected persons to make informed AI deployment decisions and gain awareness of opportunities and risks. The level is proportionate to context — a developer needs more depth than an HR manager using a CV screening tool.
Practical measures
- Role-based training: tailored to each function’s interaction with AI (engineers, product managers, sales, HR, customer-facing roles).
- Awareness of risks: hallucination, bias, privacy implications, regulatory landscape.
- Operational competence: knowing how to operate the tools they use, including limitations.
- Documentation: evidence of training delivery and content.
Who is in scope
- Providers: companies developing AI systems for the EU market.
- Deployers: companies using AI systems professionally.
- Outsourcing: staff of contractors and consultants who operate AI on behalf of the deployer.