Your chatbot needs to introduce itself. What the AI Act means for businesses

Does your website have a chatbot? Do you create advertising images with AI, or use it to write copy or organise data? If so, the AI Act—the EU's new rules on artificial intelligence—affects you too. There is no need to panic, but you should know what it requires.

What is the AI Act?

The AI Act is an EU regulation governing how artificial intelligence may be developed and used. It applies directly throughout the EU, so Slovakia does not need to wait for its own law. It can also apply to companies outside Europe if people in the EU use their AI.

The guiding idea is simple: the greater AI's potential impact on a person's life, the stricter the rules.

Four levels, from prohibited to largely unrestricted

Some uses are prohibited because they could seriously harm people, such as scoring individuals based on their behaviour or monitoring employees' emotions at work.

Strict requirements apply when AI makes decisions affecting people—for example, in recruitment, education, credit assessments or critical infrastructure.

You just need to be fair when it comes to tools such as chatbots: people need to be aware that they are communicating with an AI.

Most everyday AI, such as spam filters, faces no restrictions of this kind.

For most businesses, that is good news. Everyday uses such as reading documents, sorting information and helping to draft text fall into the lowest-risk category; an internal policy and trained staff will generally be enough.

What changed this year?

Since 2 August 2026, two practical requirements have applied that affect almost everyone:

Your chatbot must identify itself. Customers using your chatbot must know they are interacting with AI no later than the first message. A simple line such as “You are chatting with an AI assistant” will do.

AI-generated images featuring people must be labelled. If you use an AI-generated image or video of a person in an advertisement, you must disclose it, even if that person does not exist.

What about written content? You do not have to label a newsletter, product description or post about your services simply because AI helped you write it.

Stricter requirements are coming later

Rules for sensitive areas such as recruitment and lending were also originally due to apply this August. The EU postponed them until December 2027 and, for AI embedded in products such as medical devices or toys, until August 2028. The rules themselves have not changed; businesses simply have more time to prepare.

What is the situation in Slovakia?

Slovakia is still drafting national legislation to determine which authority will enforce the rules and what penalties will apply. As of August, it was still unclear which authority would oversee compliance. That does not mean the EU rules are on hold. They already apply.

What should you check now?

Take stock of every AI tool used in your business, including tools employees have adopted on their own. Check whether your website chatbot identifies itself as AI. Make sure AI-generated visuals featuring people are labelled in your campaigns. If AI helps you make decisions about people—for example, when hiring—start preparing now.

Want to stay up to date?

The AI Act is only the beginning. The rules will continue to evolve, new deadlines will arise, and technology will develop even faster. On our blog, we explain it all in plain language, from AI and software development to business and everything we are working on at Codium.

This article is for information only and does not constitute legal advice.