The European Artificial Intelligence Act: Promises and Perils?

The legal and regulatory landscape for artificial intelligence is shifting, and this is the book that will equip you to navigate it with clarity and authority. Gathering contributions from leading experts in the field, this edited volume provides one of the first in-depth examinations of the EU Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act) in its final form. It is not a mere commentary. Rather, it delivers a critical and structured analysis of how the AI Act will reconfigure the governance of digital technologies in Europe and beyond. The chapters engage closely with the legal text, unpacking its architecture, regulatory logic, and underlying normative choices. Key elements of the framework - ranging from high-risk systems and prohibited practices to conformity assessments and the institutional role of national authorities - are examined in detail, with an eye to both doctrinal coherence and regulatory practice. Importantly, the volume situates the AI Act within the broader EU legal landscape, exploring its intersection with instruments such as the General Data Protection Regulation, the Medical Devices Regulation, and other sector-specific regimes. In doing so, it exposes synergies, tensions, and unresolved questions that will shape implementation and enforcement. The analysis is not confined to the European context. Dedicated chapters on the approaches adopted in non-EU jurisdictions provide a comparative dimension, highlighting both shared concerns and diverging regulatory philosophies. The result is a richer understanding of where global AI governance may be heading and how fragmented or coordinated it might become. Designed for legal scholars, practitioners, regulators, and policy experts, this book is more than a reference: it is an indispensable guide to the law that will define Europe’s approach to artificial intelligence for years to come.