Lesson 6 of 7
Who governs AI?
6 min read
If AI can screen your job application or power a scam, who's making the rules? The answer isn't 'nobody' anymore — but it isn't one tidy rulebook either.
Rules by risk, not by hype
The most influential attempt so far is the EU AI Act. Its clever idea: don't regulate 'AI' as one thing — sort uses by how much harm they could do. A few uses are banned outright; high-risk ones, like screening job applicants, face strict checks; some just need to disclose they're AI; and most everyday tools are left largely alone. Higher risk, stricter rules.
Good AI rules target the use and its risk — not the technology in the abstract.
A patchwork, not a world law
The EU AI Act is just one region. The US leans on existing laws and state-by-state rules; other countries are writing their own; and the technology moves faster than any of them. So expect a patchwork: what's allowed can depend on where you are and what you're doing. That's messy — but 'sort by risk' is a framework you'll see echoed far beyond Europe.
There's no single global AI law — it's a moving patchwork, with 'risk tiers' as a common thread.
Building or buying an AI tool for real users? Check what rules apply where they live — especially for anything high-stakes like hiring, health, or lending.
The takeaway
- —The EU AI Act sorts AI uses into risk tiers — higher risk, stricter rules.
- —It targets uses and their risk, not the technology in the abstract.
- —Globally it's a patchwork; rules depend on where you are and what you do.
How does the EU AI Act mainly regulate AI?
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