AI Pact marks one year of progress on trustworthy AI in Europe

Over the past year, the AI Pact has established itself as a key driver of early preparation for the EU's AI Act, bringing together organisations committed to responsible and trustworthy AI.

The AI Pact now counts 3 265 companies and organisations, with more than 230 voluntary pledgers taking concrete steps toward compliance ahead of legal deadlines. New signatories continue to join every week.

The AI Office has prioritised community engagement and knowledge sharing. 7 interactive webinars, designed to support organisations in understanding the AI Act, attracted over 36 000 views. These sessions have directly informed the development of the AI Act Single Information Platform and the AI Act Service Desk.

Pledgers have made significant progress in implementing the Pact's 3 core commitments:

• adopting an AI governance strategy
• mapping high-risk AI systems
• promoting AI literacy

All signatories have initiated internal processes to meet these commitments. More than half have gone beyond their commitments, taking on additional voluntary measures such as:

• reinforcing human oversight
• improving risk mitigation
• increasing transparency around AI-generated content

Altogether, the AI Office has received 105 reports from signatories, outlining the actions taken over the past year and providing feedback on their compliance journey. The remaining reports will be submitted 12 months after companies join.

The signatories reflect a diverse profile. 63% are based in the EU, 23% in the United States and 14% in other regions. Most participants combine multiple roles, with 63% acting as both AI providers and deployers, while 18% are deployers only and 14% are providers only. In terms of sectors, 37% operate in software or software-as-a-service, 19% in IT services, 13% in cloud or telecommunications, and 12% in industrial or energy-related activities.

The experiences shared by pledgers significantly contributed to the Commission's repository of AI literacy practices. Signatories also provided targeted feedback on compliance with the AI Act and on the associated financial burden, which is informing the Commission's work on simplification.

The reports show strong progress on AI literacy, with organisations across sectors launching awareness campaigns, tailored training programmes and practical guidelines for everyday AI use. Many participants went beyond their initial commitments by expanding the scope of activities or accelerating compliance timelines, often inspired by exchanges with peers. Existing tools and GDPR-based processes were frequently adapted to meet AI Act requirements, and larger organisations actively supported start-ups and SMEs by sharing expertise, tools and good practices.

At the same time, several challenges were identified, including the need to strengthen internal and external awareness of the AI Act, to balance innovation with compliance, and to receive standards and guidance in a timely manner. Participants also highlighted difficulties in understanding interactions with other legislation and expressed concerns about the future evolution of AI technologies and their regulatory treatment.

You can find a short overview of the AI Pact pledgers' 1-year achievements.

The AI Office will continue engaging with AI Pact members and drawing on their valuable feedback, which has also contributed to the proposed Digital Omnibus amendments to simplify and clarify the AI Act.

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