Article 4 • AI literacy
EU AI Act Article 4: AI literacy requirements for providers and deployers
Article 4 requires providers and deployers to take measures supporting AI literacy for staff and other persons dealing with AI-system operation and use on their behalf. The amended rule does not require guaranteeing a specific literacy level for each individual.
Updated: 26 September 2026 · Reviewed by Constantin Razvan Gospodin.
Direct answer
What does Article 4 of the EU AI Act require?
Providers and deployers must take measures to support the development of AI literacy, taking account of the technical knowledge, experience, education and training of the people involved, the context in which the AI systems are used, and the persons or groups affected by that use.
Current rule
Article 4 was replaced by Regulation (EU) 2026/1744.
The amended rule requires providers and deployers to support AI literacy while considering the people involved, their knowledge and experience, the context in which the AI is used, and the persons or groups on whom the systems are used.
Who is covered?
Providers and deployers of AI systems. The obligation is broader than the high-risk regime and should be assessed across ordinary AI use, not only Annex III systems.
Who should be considered?
Staff and other persons dealing with operation and use on the organisation's behalf, with attention to their technical knowledge, experience, education and training.
What context matters?
The system's use context, decision impact, users, affected groups and the practical risks of misunderstanding or misuse.
What is not required?
The amended Article 4 expressly says providers and deployers do not have to guarantee a specific level of AI literacy for any individual.
Operational implementation
A training deck alone is a weak compliance record.
Role-based training
Differentiate ordinary users, system owners, developers, reviewers, HR users, procurement, compliance and executives.
System-specific risks
Address capabilities, limitations, hallucination, automation bias, privacy, transparency and human-oversight expectations relevant to the actual systems.
Evidence
Maintain training scope, audience, materials, completion records, refresh triggers and ownership rather than relying on informal awareness.
Refresh cycle
Update measures when systems, roles, legal requirements or operating context materially change.
Evidence checklist
What an organisation should be able to show
- Which staff and operators interact with which AI systems.
- Why the selected literacy measures are proportionate to their roles.
- Which risks and limitations are covered.
- How new joiners and role changes are handled.
- When refresher training is triggered.
- Who owns the AI literacy program and its records.
Frequently asked
Article 4 AI literacy questions
What does Article 4 of the EU AI Act require?
Providers and deployers must take measures supporting the development of AI literacy for staff and other persons dealing with the operation and use of AI systems on their behalf, taking account of knowledge, experience, education, training and context.
Who must comply with the AI literacy requirement?
Article 4 applies to providers and deployers of AI systems. The obligation is not limited to high-risk AI systems.
Does Article 4 require a specific course or literacy level?
No single training format is prescribed, and the amended Article 4 states that providers and deployers do not have to guarantee a specific level of AI literacy for each individual.
Primary source
Use the amended legal text.
Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 replaced Article 4 and expressly states that the obligation does not require a provider or deployer to guarantee a specific AI-literacy level for an individual.
Need an AI literacy implementation plan?
We can map roles, systems, risk context, training objectives and evidence requirements into a practical Article 4 program.