The European Union on Friday launched a new enforcement team to police artificial intelligence companies as its landmark AI Act enters into force, marking one of the world's toughest regulatory crackdowns on the fast-growing technology.
The European Commission said the expanded AI Office will monitor compliance with the bloc's new rules, which take effect on Sunday and require AI-generated content, including chatbots and images, to be clearly labelled for users.
The regulations also target risks such as deepfakes, sexually explicit AI-generated content, cyber threats and other systemic dangers, including threats to critical infrastructure and fundamental rights.
"As enforcement begins, we are taking an important step towards AI that people and businesses can understand and trust," EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen said.
Brussels steps up AI oversight
The Commission said it is adding 38 staff to its AI Office in Brussels to oversee companies ranging from startups to major global developers, including OpenAI and DeepSeek.
AI companies will be required to document key information about their models, while the Commission will have the authority to question company staff during investigations.
The EU has also launched a whistleblower platform for tech workers and a compliance tool allowing users to confidentially report suspected violations.
Companies found to have breached the AI Act could face hefty fines or lose access to the EU market.
The move comes amid growing global concern over AI safety following recent disclosures by leading AI developers that experimental models had demonstrated troubling autonomous behaviour during internal testing.
