Critical infrastructure: is it high-risk under the EU AI Act?
AI used as a safety component in the management and operation of critical digital infrastructure, road traffic, or the supply of water, gas, heating and electricity.
Classification test
Falling in this domain is necessary but not sufficient. Under Article 6(2) the system is high-risk only if it also performs one of the specific functions the domain's text lists. Only safety components are in scope — general operational AI without a safety-critical function may fall outside.
Example systems
- Safety components managing electricity grid load
- AI controlling water-supply safety systems
- Road-traffic management safety components
If it is high-risk, these obligations apply
- Declare accuracy metrics in instructions for use — Provider
- Evidence robustness / resilience — Provider
- Evidence AI-specific cybersecurity — Provider
- Run a lifecycle risk-management system — Provider
- Govern training, validation and test data — Provider
- Assign human oversight and use per instructions (deployer) — Deployer
- Draw up & maintain the Annex IV technical file — Provider
- Classify the system against Article 6 / Annex III — Provider, Deployer
- Register in the EU database — Provider, Deployer
- Complete conformity assessment before market — Provider
All high-risk (Annex III) obligations → · How to classify under Article 6 →
Legal source
FAQ
Is critical infrastructure AI high-risk under the EU AI Act?
It is high-risk under Article 6(2) if it matches the Annex III critical infrastructure domain and performs a listed function. Only safety components are in scope — general operational AI without a safety-critical function may fall outside.
What must I do if it is high-risk?
Run a risk-management system, govern your data, keep the Annex IV technical file, evidence accuracy/robustness/cybersecurity, complete conformity assessment and register in the EU database.
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Subscribe — free, weeklyNot legal advice. This is a practitioner reference generated from a cited knowledge base built on the primary legal text and official Commission guidance. Verify against the cited primary sources before relying on it for a compliance decision. See editorial standards & methodology.