Self-Service or Not? How to Guide Practitioners in Classifying AI Systems Under the EU AI Act

A new study evaluates how 78 industrial practitioners apply the EU AI Act's Risk Classification Scheme using a web-based tool, revealing challenges in interpreting legal definitions and regulatory scope. The research shows that targeted support with clear explanations can significantly improve the AI risk classification process for compliance.

• →The EU AI Act's Risk Classification Scheme is complex to apply in practice, requiring legal, technical, and domain expertise.
• →78 practitioners across diverse industries participated in evaluating a self-service AI classification tool.
• →Major challenges include interpreting legal definitions and understanding regulatory scope boundaries.
• →Targeted support with clear explanations and examples significantly improves classification accuracy.
• →The study provides actionable insights for tool designers and policymakers supporting AIA compliance.