EU AI Act for GTM Leaders: What You Actually Need to Know

The EU AI Act is 400+ pages. Here's what matters for GTM teams deploying AI agents.

This isn't legal advice. This is the operational summary that lets you move forward with AI GTM without getting stopped by legal review.

What Is the EU AI Act?

The EU AI Act (Regulation 2024/1689) is the world's first comprehensive AI regulation. It establishes a risk-based framework that applies different rules based on how risky an AI application is. It affects any organization deploying AI in the EU market—regardless of where the company is based.

The Four Risk Tiers

The Act classifies AI systems into four categories, with compliance obligations scaling accordingly:

Risk Level	Examples	Compliance Burden
Unacceptable	Social scoring, manipulative AI	Banned
High-Risk	Employment screening, credit decisions	Strict obligations
Limited	Chatbots, content generation	Transparency rules
Minimal	Spam filters, analytics tools	Largely unregulated

Where GTM AI Agents Land

Most AI GTM applications fall into limited or minimal risk:

• Content generation agents: Minimal risk
• Email outreach agents: Limited risk (transparency required)
• Lead scoring agents: Limited to minimal risk
• Campaign optimization: Minimal risk
• Customer service chatbots: Limited risk (disclosure required)
• Sales candidate screening: High-risk (strict obligations)

The key distinction: if AI makes decisions about access to services, employment, or credit, it's high-risk. If AI generates content, optimizes campaigns, or assists with research, it's typically lower risk.

Key Dates GTM Leaders Need to Know

• February 2025: AI literacy training required for staff (already in effect)
• February 2025: Prohibited AI practices banned (already in effect)
• August 2025: GPAI model obligations effective
• August 2026: High-risk AI system obligations take full effect

What Limited Risk Means in Practice

For GTM teams, limited risk AI (the most common category) requires:

Transparency

When customers interact with AI, disclose it. Chatbots, automated emails, AI-generated content recommendations—all require disclosure.

Documentation

Maintain records of what AI does, what data it uses, and how decisions are made. This isn't extensive high-risk documentation, but basic record-keeping is required.

Human Oversight

Even for limited risk applications, maintain human checkpoints. AI proposes, humans review for anything customer-facing.

What High-Risk Means (If You're Affected)

If your GTM AI screens job candidates or makes credit decisions, you face strict obligations:

• Risk management system
• Data governance requirements
• Technical documentation
• Record-keeping and logging
• Human oversight provisions
• Accuracy, robustness, and cybersecurity requirements
• Fundamental rights impact assessment

What This Means for Vendor Selection

Before signing any AI GTM vendor, verify:

1. They've classified their AI system under the Act
2. They provide compliance documentation
3. They support transparency requirements
4. They maintain appropriate data governance
5. They have incident response procedures

Key Takeaways

1. Most GTM AI is limited or minimal risk—not high-risk
2. Limited risk means transparency, not heavy compliance
3. AI literacy training is already required for your team
4. High-risk obligations kick in August 2026
5. Vendor selection is your compliance checkpoint
6. Disclose AI interaction to customers—it's not optional

The EU AI Act isn't a barrier to AI GTM adoption. It's a framework that, when understood, lets you move forward confidently with the right vendors and the right documentation.