Safety and compliance
AI literacy: what's expected of employers
What the AI Act expects of employers regarding AI literacy, and how to approach it practically and proportionately in a small business.
5 min read
Article 4 of the EU AI Act concerns AI literacy. It has applied since 2 February 2025 to every organisation that deploys AI systems, including small businesses. Since its amendment by Regulation (EU) 2026/1744, in force since 27 July 2026, it requires you to take measures to support your staff's AI literacy. A specific level of knowledge per person does not have to be guaranteed.
General information, not legal advice.
What is AI literacy?
In short: knowing what AI can and can't do, using it sensibly and understanding the risks. For an employee using an AI assistant, that means, among other things:
- Understanding that AI can make mistakes and knowing how to check.
- Knowing which data may and may not go into an AI tool.
- Knowing the company's rules.
A proportionate approach
The obligation depends on your context: which tools, for what and by whom. A small business using AI assistants for writing needs something different from a company using AI for decisions about people.
Practical measures for a small business:
- An AI policy everyone knows.
- Basic training for everyone who uses AI.
- Specific guidance for those using AI in sensitive tasks.
- A contact person for questions.
- Records of who completed which training.
Keeping evidence
Record the measures you took: your policy, who completed which training and when. That helps if questions arise. Reports and certificates from a learning platform can help.
Checklist
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Prompt to copy
We're a [sector] business with [number] staff using these AI tools: [list], mainly for [tasks]. Propose a proportionate plan to support our staff's AI literacy: who needs what knowledge, which measures to take and how to keep records. Don't give legal advice.
