Video · 10 min · Lesson 4 of 9
Who is who: provider and deployer
Your role under the Act determines your obligations.
Transcript
The EU AI Act applies to organisations that build, use or distribute AI systems in the EU, and it assigns obligations by role. A provider develops an AI system, or has one developed, and places it on the market under its own name. A deployer uses an AI system in its professional activity. Importers and distributors bring systems into the EU market or sell them on.
Most companies outside the tech sector are deployers: they use ChatGPT, Copilot or a vendor's recruitment tool. Deployer obligations are lighter than a provider's but real: use high-risk systems according to the instructions, assign competent human oversight, keep logs, and inform people when the law requires it.
Roles can shift. If you substantially modify a system or put your own brand on it, you may take on provider obligations. And since February 2025 the Act has required providers and deployers to take measures for the AI literacy of staff who work with AI. The 2026 amendment frames this as supporting AI literacy rather than guaranteeing a set level, but it remains one reason training is no longer optional.
Key takeaways
- Obligations under the Act depend on your role.
- Most non-tech companies are deployers with real but lighter duties.
- Since February 2025, providers and deployers must take measures to build staff AI literacy.