Examples
Worked examples
- Is an instance
A university research office that uses an AI-assisted grant-screening tool documents role-appropriate training for the staff who operate it -- covering what the tool can and cannot reliably do, its known error patterns, and when a human decision must override it -- as part of demonstrating Article 4 compliance.
Counter-examples
Looks similar, but isn't
- Not an instance
Generic digital-literacy or 'how to prompt ChatGPT' training aimed at students or the general public is not what Article 4 requires: the obligation is a compliance duty on providers and deployers regarding the specific staff operating AI systems on the organization's behalf, not a general educational-literacy program.
Editorial commentary
AI literacy under Article 4 is a compliance obligation, not an educational program: it requires providers and deployers of AI systems to take measures ensuring their staff and any other persons operating or using an AI system on their behalf have a sufficient level of understanding of that system, appropriate to their role.
Who it applies to and what it requires
The obligation falls on both providers (organizations placing an AI system on the market) and deployers (organizations using an AI system under their own authority) — which covers most research organizations that use, rather than build, AI tools. Article 4 requires measures “to their best extent,” accounting for staff’s existing technical knowledge, experience, education, and training, the context in which the system is used, and the population of persons or groups the system is used on or affects. In practice this typically means role-appropriate training, documented AI-use policies, and staff who can recognize a system’s known limitations and error modes — not a one-size-fits-all certification.
Timing
Article 4 entered into force on 2 February 2025 (Article 113(a)) — notably earlier than the Act’s staged deadlines for high-risk system obligations and most general-purpose AI model duties, making it one of the first substantive AI Act obligations research organizations needed to address.
Practical application for a research office
CASRAI’s guide to writing an AI Acceptable Use Policy covers the operational side of this: defining approved tools, disclosure requirements, and staff training expectations. See also EU AI Act obligations and exemptions for research organizations and the European AI Office, which supports AI-literacy guidance and best practices.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Article 4 carry its own fine tier?
Article 4 is not among the specific high-tier penalty provisions (unlike Article 5’s prohibited practices), but it is a binding obligation supervised as part of general AI Act compliance oversight.
Does AI literacy training need to be formally certified?
The Act does not mandate a specific certification format — it requires measures proportionate to staff’s role and the AI system’s risk and context, which organizations can document through internal training records and policy.
Machine-readable encodings
Use in your systems
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vocab-term="AI Literacy (EU AI Act Article 4)"
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"description": "Under Article 4 of the EU AI Act, AI literacy is the obligation on providers and deployers of AI systems to take measures ensuring, to their best extent, a sufficient level of AI literacy among staff and other persons who operate or use AI systems on their behalf -- accounting for those individuals' technical knowledge, experience, education, and training, and the context and population the AI system is used on or for. The obligation entered into force on 2 February 2025 under Article 113(a), ahead of the Act's later staged compliance deadlines for high-risk and GPAI provisions.",
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"datePublished": "2026-08-22T10:45:07",
"dateModified": "2026-09-04T07:25:44",
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}
