European AI Office

The European AI Office was established within the European Commission as the foundation for a single AI governance system. It supports the EU approach to AI, playing a key role in implementing the AI Act – especially for general-purpose AI (GPAI) – guaranteeing the health, safety and fundamental rights of people and providing legal certainty to businesses. It also enforces the rules for GPAI models and supports the governance bodies in Member States in their tasks. This is underpinned by the powers given to the Commission by the AI Act, including the ability to conduct evaluations of GPAI models, request information and measures from model providers, and apply sanctions.

The AI Office also promotes an innovative ecosystem of trustworthy AI, to reap the societal and economic benefits. It ensures a strategic, coherent and effective European approach to AI at international level, becoming a global reference point.

The AI Office employs more than 125 staff, including technology specialists, administrative assistants, lawyers, policy specialists, and economists. It has 6 units and 2 advisors, reflecting its mandate:

• “Excellence in AI and Robotics” unit
• “Regulation and Compliance” unit
• “AI Safety” unit
• “AI Innovation and Policy Coordination” unit
• “AI for Societal Good” unit
• "AI in Health and Life Science" unit
• Lead Scientific Advisor
• International Affairs Advisor

Supporting the AI Act and enforcing general-purpose AI rules

The AI Office makes use of its expertise to support the implementation of the AI Act by:

• Contributing to the coherent application of the AI Act across the Member States, including the set-up of advisory bodies at EU level, facilitating support and information exchange
• Developing tools, methodologies and benchmarks for evaluating capabilities and reach of general-purpose AI models, and classifying models with systemic risks
• Drawing up state-of-the-art codes of practice to detail out rules, in cooperation with leading AI developers, the scientific community and other experts
• Preparing guidance and guidelines, implementing and delegated acts, and other tools to support effective implementation of the AI Act and monitor compliance with the regulation
• Investigating possible infringements of rules, including evaluations to assess model capabilities, and requesting providers to take corrective action

Strengthening the development and use of trustworthy AI

The AI Office, in collaboration with relevant public and private actors and the startup community, contributes to fostering trustworthy AI across the EU by:

• Advancing actions and policies to reap the societal and economic benefits of AI across the EU
• Providing advice on best practices and enabling ready-access to AI sandboxes, real-world testing and other European support structures for AI uptake
• Encouraging innovative ecosystems of trustworthy AI to enhance the EU’s competitiveness and economic growth
• Aiding the Commission in leveraging the use of transformative AI tools and reinforcing AI literacy

Fostering international cooperation

At international level, the AI Office contributes to a strategic, coherent, and effective EU approach, by:

• Promoting the EU’s approach to trustworthy AI, including collaboration with similar institutions worldwide
• Fostering international cooperation and governance on AI, contributing to a global approach to AI
• Supporting the development and implementation of international agreements on AI

The AI Office collaborates with Member States and the wider expert community through dedicated platforms:

• The European Artificial Intelligence Board (AI Board) is a key advisory body supported by the AI Office that includes representatives from each EU Member States and the European Centre for Algorithmic Transparency (ECAT). The AI Board’s primary role is to ensure the effective implementation of the AI Act across the EU by coordinating national authorities, sharing technical and regulatory expertise and providing advice on AI policy, innovation, and international partnerships.
• The AI Scientific Panel of independent experts ensures a strong link with the scientific community. Further technical expertise is gathered in an Advisory Forum, representing a balanced selection of stakeholders, including industry, startups and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), academia, think tanks and civil society.
• The AI Office also oversees the AI Pact, which allows businesses to engage with the Commission and other stakeholders to share best practices and join activities. This engagement has started before the AI Act entered into force and allows businesses to plan ahead and prepare for the full implementation of the AI Act. To stay up to date and register, check the AI Pact events.
• The Apply AI Alliance is the main coordination forum bringing together AI providers, industry leaders, academia and the public sector to ensure policy actions are grounded in the real-world needs. Closely connected to the Alliance, an AI Observatory will track AI trends and assess impact of AI in specific sectors.

The AI Office actively supports innovators through policies and initiatives that spur growth across the EU:

• The AI Continent action plan, launched in April 2025, explains how to harness the untapped potential of EU researchers and industries, turning EU strengths – such as unparalleled talent and strong traditional industries – into AI accelerators. The plan promotes economic growth and competitiveness in areas such as healthcare, cars, science.
• The Apply AI Strategy, launched in October 2025, complements the action plan. It aims to boost AI adoption and innovation across Europe, particularly among SMEs. It is designed to enhance the competitiveness of strategic sectors and strengthen the EU’s tech sovereignty.
• In November 2025, the 'AI omnibus' (part of the Digital Simplification Package) proposed targeted amendments to the AI Act to ensure the rules remain clear, simple, and innovation-friendly. A political agreement was reached on 7 May 2026.
• The ‘GenAI4EU' initiative, part of the 2024 AI innovation package, contributes to the development of novel use cases and emerging applications in 14 industrial sectors and the public sector. 
   

Other initiatives aimed at boosting the development and uptake of AI are:

• AI Factories
• Testing and Experimentation Facilities (TEFS) and sandboxes
• European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs)
• AI skills and literacy

The AI Office recruits talent from a wide range of backgrounds for policy, technical and legal roles and administrative support. To apply, complete the Expression of Interest Form. For inquiries, please contact us at the following addresses:

• Recruitment: CNECT-AIOFFICE-RECRUITMENT@ec.europa.eu
• General Inquiries: CNECT-AIOFFICE@ec.europa.eu

Important: These email addresses are for inquiries only. Applications must be submitted through the dedicated form, not via email.