Artificial intelligence in everyday life
Artificial intelligence (AI) has become part of our daily lives. It can help you find information, learn new skills, save time, and solve problems. It helps businesses automate repetitive tasks, reduce human error, process data faster, and can therefore boost productivity and competitiveness.
AI offers many opportunities, but it is important to use it responsibly and understand its limits.
The EU is working to ensure that AI remains safe, trustworthy, and respects people's rights.
How the EU keeps AI safe
The EU aims to make AI trustworthy and ensure that it works for people and businesses, while protecting fundamental rights, safety and privacy.
EU's legal framework for artificial intelligence
The AI Act introduces rules for AI systems that may pose risks to people. The AI Office helps oversee its enforcement and implementation.
These rules help ensure that
🤖 people know when they are interacting with AI, for example, with chatbots
🏷️ certain AI-generated content is clearly and visibly labelled, for example, AI-generated or manipulated images, audio, or videos (deep fakes)
⛑️ high-risk AI systems meet safety requirements to protect people's health, safety and fundamental rights, including appropriate human oversight measures
🚫 harmful AI practices are prohibited, for example, harmful AI-based manipulation and deception or exploitation of vulnerabilities, social scoring, building facial recognition databases from CCTV cameras, and others
AI systems used in critical infrastructures such as transport, education, recruitment, financial services, and healthcare must meet strict requirements before they can be put on the market. They also must remain under human oversight. Examples include scoring of exams, CV-sorting software, credit scoring, and robot-assisted surgeries.
Supporting businesses using AI and innovation
The EU is investing in AI research, skills, infrastructure, and innovation to help businesses, researchers and startups develop, adopt, and use trustworthy AI. The AI continent action plan sets out actions to position the EU as a global leader in AI and boost competitiveness, while protecting democratic values and cultural diversity.
AI is already being used in many workplaces and sectors across the EU. It has the potential to boost economic growth and competitiveness, while improving people’s lives through advances in health, farming, education, employment, energy, transport, security, and many other areas.
Whether you want to build AI systems, introduce AI into your organisation or develop AI skills, the EU provides a range of initiatives and support.
🎯 Developing talent and skills
The EU is investing in digital skills and AI skills to remain competitive globally. It supports traineeships in digital areas, specialised education programmes and courses, AI excellence centres to retain and develop top talent, and research opportunities to help people develop the skills needed to use and build AI technologies.
🚀 Advancing research and innovation
The AI factories are large-scale computing facilities that provide researchers, startups, and companies with access to the computing power needed to develop and train advanced AI systems that can benefit people and businesses.
The European AI in science strategy supports scientists in using AI technologies responsibly to advance scientific excellence and innovation, while strengthening Europe’s competitiveness.
📈 Supporting businesses
The Apply AI strategy aims to enhance the competitiveness of strategic sectors and strengthen the EU’s technological sovereignty by boosting AI adoption and innovation, particularly among small and medium-sized businesses across the EU.
The AI innovation package supports startups, small and medium-sized businesses, universities, and researchers developing trustworthy AI through funding, infrastructure, and collaboration opportunities.
The AI Act single information platform helps businesses understand the requirements of the AI Act. It serves as an accessible and up-to-date information hub offering clear guidance on how to apply the AI Act.
This page was last updated on 16 July 2026