Worried the new EU AI Act is going to mess with your website, your workflows, or your favourite AI tools?

If you’re a solo service provider, like a coach, designer, photographer or creative, here’s the good news:

You’re probably in the clear….Unless you’re doing something shady with AI, this new law likely won’t affect you much.

But, if you do use AI tools in your business (like chatbots, content generators, or deepfakes), here’s what you should know.

Wait… What is the EU AI Act?

The EU AI Act is the first-ever law designed to regulate artificial intelligence (AI) in the European Union.

Its goal is to make sure AI is:

• Safe to use

• Transparent

• Respectful of people’s rights

• Not secretly manipulating or discriminating against anyone

It officially came into effect in July 2024 and is being rolled out in stages, with full enforcement expected by 2026.

So… Will This Affect My Business?

If you’re running a service-based website and you’re not building or using complex AI tools to make big decisions, you’re probably fine. Unless you’re using AI in a high-risk or manipulative way, there’s no need to stress. But if you are using AI tools (even the everyday kind), here’s how it might apply to you:

1. You use a chatbot on your site

If you have a chatbot answering questions or guiding clients, you just need to let people know it’s AI. Add a short message like: “Powered by AI” or “This is an automated assistant.”

2. You use AI tools behind the scenes

Using AI for things like:

• Writing content

• Designing graphics

• Scheduling posts

• Brainstorming ideas

You’re totally fine. These are considered low-risk tools and don’t require any legal changes on your part. Just use them responsibly.

3. You’re using AI-generated content

If you’re using AI-generated images, voices, videos or avatars in your marketing, you need to clearly state that it was made with AI (eg “This testimonial was created using AI.”) Why? Because people have the right to know when they’re seeing something that isn’t real.

4. You’re doing something that’s now banned

Here’s what’s not allowed under the EU AI Act:

• Ranking clients based on personal data (also known as social scoring)

• Using AI to emotionally manipulate or deceive people

• Hiding AI-generated content and pretending it’s 100% human-made

The law is designed to protect people from unfair, misleading or harmful uses of AI, especially in sensitive areas like employment, education, healthcare or law enforcement.

Final Thoughts

Use the tool, don’t be a tool.

The AI Act is here to support trust, fairness and privacy online. If you’re using AI to make your business better and your life easier, not to mislead or manipulate people, you’re on the right track.

Be clear.
Be kind.
Be human.

No shady tactics needed.

P.S. This isn’t legal advice… just good business advice!

If you’d like help making your website more honest, transparent and user-friendly, I’m always here to help.