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Article 4: AI literacy

Article 4, Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 as amended by Regulation (EU) 2026/1744

Governance and enforcementDeployerProvider
Amended by Regulation (EU) 2026/1744

The text below is the consolidated version, with the Digital Omnibus changes applied. Each change is listed under Amendments further down this page.

1. Providers and deployers of AI systems shall take measures to support the development of AI literacy of their staff and other persons dealing with the operation and use of AI systems on their behalf, taking into account their technical knowledge, experience, education and training and the context the AI systems are to be used in, and considering the persons or groups of persons on whom the AI systems are to be used. This obligation does not require providers or deployers to guarantee any specific level of AI literacy of any individual.

2. The Commission and the Member States shall support and facilitate the efforts of providers and deployers of AI systems, in particular SMEs, in fulfilling their obligation under paragraph 1 of this Article. For that purpose, the Commission shall publish practical examples of how to comply with that obligation on the single information platform referred to in Article 62(3), point (b).

3. The Board shall adopt recommendations, taking into account European competence frameworks, to support the Commission and Member States in the promotion of AI literacy required under paragraph 1, including by setting out common objectives.

Amendments under Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 (2)

replace

Softens the AI-literacy obligation from 'ensure' a sufficient level to 'take measures to support the development of' AI literacy, explicitly disclaiming any guaranteed individual level, and adds support duties for the Commission/Member States and a Board recommendation role.

Read the amended text

‘Article 4

AI literacy

1. Providers and deployers of AI systems shall take measures to support the development of AI literacy of their staff and other persons dealing with the operation and use of AI systems on their behalf, taking into account their technical knowledge, experience, education and training and the context the AI systems are to be used in, and considering the persons or groups of persons on whom the AI systems are to be used. This obligation does not require providers or deployers to guarantee any specific level of AI literacy of any individual.

2. The Commission and the Member States shall support and facilitate the efforts of providers and deployers of AI systems, in particular SMEs, in fulfilling their obligation under paragraph 1 of this Article. For that purpose, the Commission shall publish practical examples of how to comply with that obligation on the single information platform referred to in Article 62(3), point (b).

3. The Board shall adopt recommendations, taking into account European competence frameworks, to support the Commission and Member States in the promotion of AI literacy required under paragraph 1, including by setting out common objectives.’

insert

Moves the legal basis for processing special categories of personal data for bias detection and correction out of Article 10(5) into a stand-alone Article 4a, and extends the possibility (with the same strict conditions) to providers and deployers of other AI systems and models and to deployers of high-risk AI systems.

Read the amended text

‘Article 4a

Processing of special categories of personal data for bias detection and correction

1. To the extent strictly necessary to ensure bias detection and correction in relation to high-risk AI systems in accordance with Article 10(2), points (f) and (g), of this Regulation, providers of such systems may exceptionally process special categories of personal data, subject to appropriate safeguards for the fundamental rights and freedoms of natural persons. In addition to the provisions set out in Regulations (EU) 2016/679 and (EU) 2018/1725 and Directive (EU) 2016/680, as applicable, all the following conditions shall be met in order for such processing to occur:

(a)

the bias detection and correction cannot be effectively fulfilled by processing other data, including synthetic or anonymised data;

(b)

the special categories of personal data are subject to technical limitations on the re-use of personal data, and state-of-the-art security and privacy-preserving measures, including pseudonymisation;

(c)

the special categories of personal data are subject to measures to ensure that the personal data processed are secured and protected, subject to suitable safeguards, including strict controls and documentation of the access, to avoid misuse and to ensure that only authorised persons have access to those personal data with appropriate confidentiality obligations;

(d)

the special categories of personal data are not transmitted, transferred or otherwise accessed by other parties;

(e)

the special categories of personal data are deleted once the bias has been corrected or the personal data has reached the end of its retention period, whichever comes first; and

(f)

the records of processing activities pursuant to Regulations (EU) 2016/679 and (EU) 2018/1725 and Directive (EU) 2016/680 include the reasons why the processing of special categories of personal data was strictly necessary to detect and correct biases, and why that objective could not be achieved by processing other data.

2. Providers and deployers of other AI systems and models and deployers of high-risk AI systems may exceptionally process special categories of personal data to the extent that:

(a)

such processing is strictly necessary to ensure bias detection and correction in view of possible biases that are likely to affect the health and safety of persons, have a negative impact on fundamental rights or lead to discrimination prohibited pursuant to Union law, especially where data outputs influence inputs for future operations; and

(b)

all of the conditions and safeguards set out in paragraph 1 are applied.

This paragraph does not create any obligation to conduct such bias detection and correction.’

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Mechanically consolidated from the official OJ texts of Regulations (EU) 2024/1689 and 2026/1744 (the Digital Omnibus, in force 27 July 2026); unofficial pending the official EUR-Lex consolidation. Study aid, not legal advice; the official texts on EUR-Lex are authoritative.