EU AI Act Q&A

What if I only use AI internally, never for customers?

Internal use is still use. If staff operate an AI system for the business, you are typically a deployer and Article 4 literacy has applied since 2 February 2025. The customer-facing notice in Article 50(1) is about people who interact with the system — including staff — unless that interaction is already obvious.

Answered 17 Sep 2026 · reviewed 17 Sep 2026 · applies to businesses using AI in the EU

Answered by GlassBots' AI assistant — not a person, not legal advice. We review new questions and publish them as permanent answers.

Internal use is still use. If staff operate an AI system for the business, you are typically a deployer and Article 4 literacy has applied since 2 February 2025.

“Never for customers” does not cancel that. A workplace chatbot can still be an Article 50 interaction from 2 August 2026, unless it is already obvious it is AI. Hiring tools and emotion recognition have their own rules even when no customer ever sees them.

This is general information, not legal advice.

What the law actually says

"Providers shall ensure that AI systems intended to interact directly with natural persons are designed and developed in such a way that the natural persons concerned are informed that they are interacting with an AI system, unless this is obvious from the point of view of a natural person who is reasonably well-informed, observant and circumspect, taking into account the circumstances and the context of use."
— EU AI Act, Article 50(1) (Regulation (EU) 2024/1689); applies from 2 August 2026 · eur-lex.europa.eu
"Providers and deployers of AI systems shall take measures to ensure, to their best extent, a sufficient level of AI literacy of their staff and other persons dealing with the operation and use of AI systems on their behalf."

Amended. The Digital Omnibus on AI (Regulation (EU) 2026/1744, in force 27 July 2026) replaced Article 4. The duty is now to take measures to support the development of AI literacy, and it does not require you to guarantee any particular level. The quote above is the original wording — the European Commission has not yet published the consolidated text. We will quote it here the day they do.

— EU AI Act, Article 4 (original wording, amended 2026) (Regulation (EU) 2024/1689) · eur-lex.europa.eu
"Providers and deployers of AI systems shall take measures to support the development of AI literacy of their staff and other persons dealing with the operation and use of AI systems on their behalf […]. This obligation does not require providers or deployers to guarantee any specific level of AI literacy of any individual."
— Article 4(1) as replaced by Regulation (EU) 2026/1744, Article 1(5)

In plain words

GlassBots Toolkit
What GlassBots does for this
  • Scans your computer and lists every AI tool your business actually uses.
  • Checks your settings files for the transparency basics and produces a plain-language readiness report.
  • Runs in your browser, free, nothing uploaded.
Get notified free · local · nothing uploaded
  • Every month: re-scan, and the report can be updated each month — "what changed since last check" is written for you.
  • Your records build into a printable readiness pack: tool inventory, training journal, disclosure checklist.
  • Keeps the dated history an inspector would ask to see.
See a sample Guard Report → Guard $29/month · cancel anytime
Guard
Guard

Did this answer your question?

Readiness guidance, not legal advice. GlassBots checks your own computer — nothing leaves it.