This thematic commentary analyses the core provisions and overarching themes of the EU Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act to provide readers with the information needed to understand, situate and implement this new piece of legislation in their practice.

The book offers a rich variety of views on one of the most challenging legal innovations of EU law. It analyses individual provisions exhaustively, where their relevance and complexity require specific analysis to guide their implementation, and thematically, where beneficial for a broader view of some of the strategic axes of the Act. Importantly, the chapters unpack connections both within the various components of the EU AI Act itself, as well as with the other key instruments such as the Digital Services Act (DSA), the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

The Thematic Commentary thus provides in-depth coverage of key aspects of the EU AI Act, including detailed reviews of rules on prohibited practices, high-risk AI systems, governance structures, measures to support innovation such as regulatory sandboxes, or codes of conduct.

Written by a curated selection of authors that include renowned academics, global practitioners, and institutional experts involved in the drafting process, this Commentary is a key authoritative source bringing together many different voices. Whether for legal practitioners seeking insights into the practical implementation of the EU AI Act, scholars, regulators and policymakers who need to understand the theoretical and policy implications of the Act, or students looking for an advanced analysis of the EU AI Act in context, this Thematic Commentary is the guiding reference on AI regulation in the EU.