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2025-08-25

AI Act Roadmap for AI Systems

Get ready now for the market entry of AI systems in the EU!

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When developing AI systems, it is important to determine at an early stage which regulatory requirements must be met for market access in the EU. The EU Regulation 2024/1689 (Artificial Intelligence Act, AI Act) , other national and EU legislation, as well as standards and guidelines must be considered. This raises the following questions for providers of AI systems, among others:

What specific requirements must a product meet?
What does it cost to implement these requirements?
How long will it take to implement the relevant requirements?

To answer these questions, the specific requirements of an AI system and the circumstances in the respective organization must be known. Finally, regulatory experience and expertise determine the internal and external resource requirements.

The AI Act Roadmap presented in this blog post addresses precisely these issues. Based on the intended purpose of the AI system, the specific regulatory requirements are identified, and the internal and external resources are planned. Furthermore, the AI Act Roadmap contains practical recommendations for implementing the requirements on the way to placing the AI system on the EU market or making it available.

10 steps to the AI Act roadmap

The AI Act Roadmap determines the relevant regulatory requirements and the resources to be used for an AI system in the EU based on the following steps:

01. Purpose: What is the intended purpose of the AI system?

The intended purpose defines how the provider plans to use an AI system and is the main basis for qualifying a product as an AI system and identifying the relevant regulatory requirements. We work with the provider to establish an intended purpose that will be used in the next steps of the AI Act Roadmap.

02. Qualification: Is the product an AI system as defined in the AI Act?

Based on the definition of the AI Act and the intended purpose of the product in question, we assess with you whether your product is within the scope of the AI Act. We also distinguish between a stand-alone AI system and an AI system as a safety component of a product.

03. Risk classification: Which AI Act risk category does the AI system fall into?

The AI Act distinguishes between AI systems with prohibited practices, high risk, transparency risks, or minimal or no risk, and those with general use. We help you to assign your AI system to the right category.

04. Laws, standards, and guidelines: What applies to the respective AI system?

In addition to the AI Act, other EU laws and national legislations of the member states apply to AI systems in the EU. Moreover, there are relevant standards and guidelines. Based on the intended purpose, qualification, and risk classification of your AI system, we determine the applicable requirements. You benefit from the fact that the VDE division DKE German Commission for Electrical, Electronic & Information Technologies is actively involved in shaping national, regional, and international standardization for AI systems.

05. Transition periods: When must the requirements be met?

The AI Act came into force in the EU on August 1, 2024. The various parts will come into application gradually. We identify the individual timeframe for your AI system.

06. Stakeholders: Which tasks are performed by whom?

The AI Act is aimed at various stakeholders with different roles. We determine with you which stakeholders are relevant to your AI system and which aspects you need to consider.

07. Provider obligations: What specific requirements must be met by the provider?

The provider bears full responsibility for their AI system. They must demonstrate compliance with the requirements of the AI Act and, where applicable, with other national and EU laws. We analyze which obligations apply to your AI system and how these can be fulfilled.

08. Conformity assessment: How is conformity with the AI Act demonstrated?

Providers of high-risk AI systems must carry out a conformity assessment procedure. The AI Act describes several possible procedures for this. Under certain circumstances, the provider may also have to involve a Notified Body in this process. Together with you, we identify the applicable conformity assessment procedure. From this, we derive the resulting obligations for you. In this context, we also explain whether and how the conformity assessment procedure under the AI Act can be integrated into the procedure of harmonization legislation that is also relevant for your product.

09. Post-market monitoring: How is the AI system monitored on the market?

Providers of high-risk AI systems must set up a post-market monitoring system. Depending on the risks and the technology used in your AI system, we analyze which approach is appropriate and what effort is involved.

10. Cooperation between providers and deployers: How can cooperation be successful?

In addition to the obligations for providers of high-risk AI systems, the AI Act also contains requirements for their deployers. The safety and performance of AI systems is a joint responsibility of providers and deployers. We support you in identifying common processes and assessing the associated effort.

Process for creating the AI Act Roadmap

To create the AI Act Roadmap, we proceed as follows:

Half-day kick-off workshop: In a joint (online) workshop, we get to know your product and your organization. We work with you to develop a first draft of the intended purpose.
Identification of product-related requirements: Based on the intended purpose, we qualify your product as an AI system and perform a risk categorization in accordance with the AI Act. The main activity in this step involves determining the relevant legal and regulatory requirements for the AI system.
Identifying resources for AI Act compliance: We estimate the personnel resources, costs, time, and skills needed for your AI system.
Creation of the AI Act Roadmap: The findings from steps 1 to 3 are summarized in the AI Act Roadmap and made available to you as a draft.
Half-day results workshop: In a joint (online) workshop, we will explain the contents of the AI Act Roadmap and answer your questions. You will then receive the final version of your AI Act Roadmap.

What are the benefits of the AI Act Roadmap?

The AI Act faces providers of AI systems with significant organizational and financial challenges. In line with a compliance-by-design approach, it is therefore important that providers address the regulatory requirements for their systems early on and thoroughly.

The AI Act Roadmap contains both the requirements, and an estimate of the effort required, taking into account internal and external resources. It can thus be used as a basis for internal project and product development. The AI Act Roadmap can also be an important aid in financing rounds for small and medium-sized technology companies.

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