The European Union's landmark Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act), in force since 1 August 2024, introduces the bloc's first comprehensive regulatory framework for AI, applying extraterritorially to providers with users in the EU and rolling out gradually over 6 to 36 months. Acting as product regulation, it imposes duties on AI providers and professional users rather than granting individual rights, while exempting military, national security, research, and non-professional uses. The Act tiers AI by risk into unacceptable (banned, e.g., social scoring and real-time remote biometric identification), high (requiring security, transparency, and conformity assessments), limited (transparency obligations), and minimal (unregulated) categories, plus a separate tier for general-purpose AI like ChatGPT that introduces transparency rules and extra evaluations for highly capable models. It also establishes a European Artificial Intelligence Board to enhance national cooperation and compliance, and allows citizens to file complaints and receive explanations regarding high-risk AI decisions. Proposed by the European Commission in April 2021, the law passed the European Parliament in March 2024 and won unanimous EU Council approval in May 2024, after being revised to address the rise of generative AI systems.