Since 2 February 2025, local authorities within the scope of the Act have been required to give employees sufficient AI knowledge. That is set out in Article 4 of the EU AI Act. Which knowledge each role needs under the EU AI Act is covered in a separate insight. Not as a recommendation, but as law. Active enforcement by national supervisory authorities begins in August 2026. For authorities with their own social services or care department, the sector modules for HR and healthcare are also available.
Guidance around AI in public services is becoming more concrete step by step. We track it through the AIAdopt-built EU AI Act Monitor and update the modules for public authorities.
The situation in public authorities
Civil servants use AI daily: for reports, correspondence, policy documents and public contact. But in most authorities there are no clear agreements about it. That's a problem: not only for compliance, but also for data protection and public trust.
What Article 4 means in practice for your authority
- 1The obligation applies to every employee who works with AI or is affected by it
- 2The law doesn't prescribe how you arrange it, but it does require you to be able to prove it in an audit
- 3An internal session without a test isn't demonstrable. A certificate is
Which modules suit public authorities
| Module | Audience | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| M1AI in the workplace | All employees | 25 min |
| M2Deploying AI responsibly | Management and board | 25 min |
| M3-PDAI and public services | Policy officers and civil servants | 30 min |
| M3-HRAI and recruitment & selection | HR staff | 30 min |
| M3-ZOAI and healthcare | Social services and care staff | 30 min |
| M4Managing and securing AI | IT department | 25 min |
Why a certificate?
The AIAdopt certificate is valid for 12 months and shows, through the learning outcomes, what knowledge a local government employee has gained. The EU AI Act requires demonstrable AI literacy among employees, not a specific certificate. But a certificate with clear learning outcomes is the simplest way to make that knowledge demonstrable.
Practically arranged
- ✓Online, at your own pace
- ✓Invoice on order and PO number possible
- ✓Available in English, Dutch and French
- ✓Access through a unique organisation code