In brief: The Commission clarifies through practical examples which AI systems are classified as high-risk under Article 6 of the EU AI Act and are therefore subject to stricter regulatory requirements.
On 19 May 2026, the European Commission released draft guidelines for the uniform classification of high-risk AI systems under the EU AI Act. The guidelines are intended to assist providers, operators and market surveillance authorities in correct classification.
The draft guidelines detail the Commission’s interpretation of central classification criteria of the EU AI Act and contain practical examples of AI systems that should or should not be classified as high-risk. The examples do not claim to be exhaustive and are intended to be updated as needed.
Under Article 6 of the EU AI Act, AI systems are classified as high-risk in two scenarios: first, if the system functions as a safety component of a product regulated by EU harmonization directives listed in Annex I or constitutes such a product itself and must undergo third-party conformity assessment. Second, if the system falls under one of the use cases listed in Annex III of the EU AI Act.
The Commission has structured the guidelines in a modular fashion: Section III addresses high-risk systems under criterion one, Section IV those under criterion two. The documents are individually downloadable to enable stakeholders to provide targeted feedback.
The draft guidelines form the basis of targeted stakeholder consultation. Affected companies and authorities can provide feedback on the classification requirements and practical examples, which will be incorporated into the final version.
Source: digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu · Published 19 May 2026
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