AI Act ≠ GDPR: two laws, two risks

The AI Act and GDPR are separate legal frameworks that tackle different kinds of harm. The AI Act focuses on risks from AI systems themselves—like bias, safety, or transparency—while GDPR protects personal data rights, such as consent, access, and erasure. A concrete contrast: an AI hiring tool that processes CVs must comply with GDPR for data handling and with the AI Act for high-risk classification and conformity assessment. One law does not swallow the other; both can apply simultaneously.

To avoid the trap of thinking they are interchangeable, remember that GDPR violations often involve data breaches or lack of consent, whereas AI Act breaches might involve inadequate risk management or missing documentation. In a multiple-choice question, if an option says 'AI Act compliance automatically satisfies GDPR,' eliminate it immediately. Another trick: think of GDPR as the 'data rights' law and the AI Act as the 'system safety' law—they overlap but are not identical.

A quick way to test your understanding: ask yourself, 'If an AI system uses no personal data, does GDPR apply?' The answer is no, but the AI Act might still apply if the system is high-risk. This contrast shows the two laws operate independently. Memorise the phrase: 'GDPR for data, AI Act for system—both can bite.'