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The EU AI Act takes full effect on August 2, 2026, marking the date when the European Commission's enforcement powers against General Purpose AI (GPAI) model providers formally activate. Ireland has already met the deadline by designating 15 authorities and announcing plans for a National AI Office, becoming one of six EU countries to achieve operational implementation ahead of schedule. GPAI models placed on the market after August 2, 2025 must be compliant by this date. The enforcement brings the full set of high-risk AI system obligations into force alongside Article 50 transparency obligations for generative AI. Organizations must determine whether they function as GPAI providers, system integrators, or downstream deployers, with each role carrying distinct compliance obligations and potential penalties for non-compliance. ECS Office reported the core details. TechRepublic noted additional context. Eversheds Sutherland added corroborating details.