What General-Purpose AI Has to Do Now

Starting this August, the EU AI Act's duties for general-purpose AI kick in, so let's talk about what they actually ask for.

If you build a general-purpose AI model, the kind other people build on top of, you now owe three things. First, technical documentation: what the model is, how it was built, how it was tested. Second, clear information for the people using your model downstream, so they know what they're working with. Third, honesty about training data, including a summary of what went in and a policy for respecting copyright.

The most powerful models get extra duties: deeper evaluations, tracking of serious incidents, and stronger security around the whole operation.

Notice what's happening. The law isn't asking anyone to stop building. It's asking builders to show their work. Anyone who's survived an audit knows that feeling. Documentation isn't the enemy of innovation. It's the receipt.

I explain frameworks; I don't give legal counsel.