Cross-regulatory comparison

GDPR vs AI Act: What Companies Subject to Both Regulations Must Know

Side-by-side comparison of scope, obligations, penalties, and timelines. Based on 306,000+ regulatory documents.

days until AI Act enforcement

August 2, 2026

Side-by-side comparison

Dimension	GDPR	AI Act
Scope	Processing of personal data of EU residents	AI systems placed on the EU market or used in the EU
Penalties	Up to EUR 20M or 4% global turnover	Up to EUR 35M or 7% global turnover (prohibited), EUR 15M or 3% (other)
Timeline	In force since May 2018	Full enforcement August 2, 2026

Where they overlap

AI systems processing personal data must comply with both. GDPR Article 22 (automated decisions) overlaps with AI Act human oversight (Article 14). DPIA under GDPR complements FRIA under AI Act.

Which takes priority

Both apply simultaneously. AI Act does not replace GDPR. Where both address the same issue (e.g., transparency), the stricter requirement applies.

Practical advice

Companies subject to both GDPR and AI Act should:

Map which AI systems fall under each regulation's scope
Identify where requirements overlap and can be fulfilled jointly (e.g., risk assessments, documentation)
Designate a single compliance lead who understands both frameworks
Use the stricter standard where both apply to the same obligation
Build a unified compliance timeline working backward from August 2, 2026

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