# EU AI Act Risk Tier Reference for Manufacturers > Source: https://netray.co/tools/eu-ai-act-risk-tier-reference-for-manufacturers > Publisher: Netray (netray.co), AI and integration engineering for ERP and manufacturing systems. > Section: Free Tools ## Short answer Map your ERP and shop-floor AI use cases to EU AI Act tiers, roles and obligations with plain-language notes. ## Category compliance-legal ## Region European Union ## Industry Manufacturing ## Audience - CIO - Compliance officer - IT manager ## Tool **Kind:** worksheet **Mode:** reference **Columns:** #### Topic **Key:** topic **Type:** text #### Tier or role **Key:** tier **Type:** text #### What it means **Key:** meaning **Type:** text #### Manufacturing example **Key:** example **Type:** text #### Typical action **Key:** action **Type:** text **Rows:** #### Prohibited practices (Article 5) **Tier:** Unacceptable risk **Meaning:** Banned uses such as social scoring and emotion recognition in the workplace **Example:** Using camera AI to infer worker emotions on the line **Action:** Do not deploy; remove from any pilot #### Annex III employment and worker management **Tier:** High risk **Meaning:** AI used to recruit, evaluate, allocate tasks or monitor workers **Example:** AI that ranks operators by performance or allocates shifts based on behavior **Action:** Treat as high risk: risk management, data quality, logging, human oversight #### Safety component of a regulated product (Annex I route) **Tier:** High risk **Meaning:** AI that is a safety component of a product under listed EU product laws such as the Machinery Regulation **Example:** AI function that keeps a machine safe, built into the machine you sell **Action:** Follows the product conformity route; coordinate with product compliance #### Critical infrastructure safety components (Annex III) **Tier:** High risk **Meaning:** AI managing safety of critical digital or physical infrastructure **Example:** AI controlling safety functions for energy or water supply **Action:** Assess whether your plant or product falls inside the listed areas #### Chatbots and AI interaction (Article 50) **Tier:** Transparency obligations **Meaning:** People must be told they are interacting with AI **Example:** Customer-facing order status assistant **Action:** Show a clear AI disclosure in the interface #### Synthetic content marking (Article 50) **Tier:** Transparency obligations **Meaning:** AI-generated text, audio, image and video must be machine-detectable as artificial in many cases **Example:** Auto-generated marketing images or voice messages **Action:** Use tools that mark outputs; label deepfakes #### Demand forecasting and inventory optimization **Tier:** Minimal risk **Meaning:** No specific AI Act obligations beyond general law and AI literacy **Example:** ML safety stock suggestions in the ERP **Action:** Document use; apply normal governance #### Predictive maintenance **Tier:** Minimal risk (usually) **Meaning:** Not listed as high risk unless it is a safety component **Example:** Vibration model predicting bearing failure **Action:** Check if it acts as a safety function; if not, minimal risk #### Visual quality inspection **Tier:** Minimal risk (usually) **Meaning:** Defect detection on parts is not listed, unless part of a safety component **Example:** Camera model flagging solder defects **Action:** Keep records; escalate if used for safety decisions #### ERP natural-language assistant **Tier:** Minimal or limited risk **Meaning:** Transparency applies if people interact with it; high risk only if used for listed purposes **Example:** Chat over purchasing and inventory data **Action:** Disclose it is AI; avoid use for worker evaluation #### AI literacy (Article 4) **Tier:** Obligation on providers and deployers **Meaning:** Staff operating AI need sufficient AI literacy **Example:** Training for planners using AI suggestions **Action:** Keep a training record #### General-purpose AI models **Tier:** GPAI provider obligations **Meaning:** Duties fall on the model provider, with extra rules for systemic-risk models **Example:** A foundation model you download **Action:** Check provider documentation and your downstream duties #### Provider role **Tier:** Role **Meaning:** Develops an AI system or has one developed and places it on the market under its name **Example:** A manufacturer that fine-tunes and sells an AI feature in its product **Action:** Carries the heaviest obligations #### Deployer role **Tier:** Role **Meaning:** Uses an AI system under its authority in a professional capacity **Example:** A plant running a vendor AI quality tool **Action:** Follow instructions for use, assign human oversight, keep logs #### Importer and distributor roles **Tier:** Role **Meaning:** Bring in or make available AI systems from outside the EU **Example:** Reseller of non-EU inspection software **Action:** Verify provider conformity documentation #### Date: entry into force **Tier:** Timeline **Meaning:** Regulation entered into force on 1 August 2024 **Example:** Not applicable **Action:** Use as the start of the phase-in #### Date: prohibitions and AI literacy **Tier:** Timeline **Meaning:** Apply from 2 February 2025 **Example:** Not applicable **Action:** Confirm no prohibited use exists #### Date: GPAI obligations **Tier:** Timeline **Meaning:** Apply from 2 August 2025 **Example:** Not applicable **Action:** Collect provider documentation #### Date: most other provisions **Tier:** Timeline **Meaning:** Scheduled from 2 August 2026, with Annex I product-embedded high risk from 2 August 2027; amendments proposing delays have been discussed **Example:** Not applicable **Action:** Check the current official timetable before planning **Notes:** This is a simplified orientation for planning, not legal advice. Whether a use case is high risk depends on the exact wording of the Regulation and your role. Confirm with counsel and the official text on EUR-Lex. ## Content **Intro:** The EU AI Act sorts AI systems by risk and assigns duties by role. Most ERP analytics land in the minimal tier, but a few plant and workforce uses do not. This table helps you see where each of your use cases is likely to sit. **Sections:** #### How to use it **Body:** List every AI feature in your ERP, MES and plant systems, then find the closest row for each. Note your role: a company that uses a vendor tool is usually a deployer, while one that builds AI into a product it sells is a provider. Export the matching rows into your AI inventory and attach the typical action as a task for the owner. #### Where manufacturers get surprised **Body:** The employment category is the common trap. AI that monitors or ranks workers, allocates tasks or evaluates performance is listed as high risk, even when it sits inside a scheduling or labor-reporting module. The other trap is the safety component route: AI embedded in a machine you place on the EU market can follow the product conformity rules, with extra dates. **Bullets:** - Worker monitoring and ranking is the main internal risk - Embedded machine safety follows product law - Chat assistants need disclosure, not high-risk controls - Forecasting and maintenance are usually minimal risk #### Common mistakes **Body:** Teams assume that open-weight or on-prem hosting avoids the Act; it does not, because the rules follow the use and the role. Others rely on a single date; the phase-in has several, and proposals to adjust timing have been discussed. Finally, many skip AI literacy, which is a simple obligation that is easy to evidence with a training log. **Cta:** Netray designs private ERP AI with logging, human approval and read-only access, which supports your own AI Act duties. We are not a law firm, so have counsel confirm classification. **Faq:** #### Is an internal ERP chatbot high risk under the AI Act? **Answer:** Not by default. A chat assistant over inventory or purchasing data is generally minimal or limited risk, with a disclosure duty if people interact with it. It becomes a concern if used for listed purposes such as evaluating workers. #### Does the AI Act apply to non-EU manufacturers? **Answer:** It can. The Regulation applies to providers placing systems on the EU market and to deployers in the EU, and also where the output of a system is used in the EU. Check your exposure with counsel. #### What is the deployer duty for a vendor quality tool? **Answer:** For high-risk systems, deployers must follow the instructions for use, assign competent human oversight, monitor operation, keep logs they control and inform affected workers where required. #### Do I need to worry about dates already? **Answer:** Yes for prohibitions and AI literacy, which already apply. Plan the rest against the official timetable and watch for amendments that may shift some dates. ## Search terms eu ai act risk categories manufacturing, eu ai act high risk examples, eu ai act deployer obligations, eu ai act timeline dates, ai act machinery safety component, ai literacy article 4, eu ai act erp chatbot --- Talk to an engineer: https://netray.co/contact?intent=erp_ai | Machine catalog: https://netray.co/agent/catalog.json