{"id":21153,"date":"2026-10-09T14:40:01","date_gmt":"2026-10-09T12:40:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/westernacher-solutions.com\/ai-competence-under-article-4-of-the-eu-ai-act-why-training-alone-is-not-enough\/"},"modified":"2026-10-09T14:42:34","modified_gmt":"2026-10-09T12:42:34","slug":"ai-competence-under-article-4-of-the-eu-ai-act-why-training-alone-is-not-enough","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/westernacher-solutions.com\/en\/ai-competence-under-article-4-of-the-eu-ai-act-why-training-alone-is-not-enough\/","title":{"rendered":"AI competence under article 4 of the EU AI Act: Why training alone is not enough"},"content":{"rendered":"

AI systems are becoming an increasingly common part of everyday work: They summarize texts, research information, analyze documents, or create initial drafts. This presents a concrete challenge for companies, government agencies, the judiciary, and religious organizations: Employees must be able to use AI safely, critically, and in a manner appropriate to their roles.<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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Article 4 of the EU AI Act<\/strong> therefore makes AI competence an organizational requirement. Providers and operators of AI systems must ensure that the individuals involved possess an appropriate level of knowledge and skills. This includes, among other things, prior knowledge, experience, training, the context of use, and the affected groups of people. <\/p>\n

The key takeaway:<\/strong> A one-time AI training session is not enough. AI competence only becomes effective when learning, clear rules, application-specific knowledge, and accessible experts work together on an ongoing basis. Westernacher Solutions views this not merely as a regulatory requirement, but as a prerequisite for the responsible, safe, and meaningful use of AI.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

What does AI competence mean under the EU AI Act?<\/h2><\/div>

AI competence\u2014referred to as \u201cAI literacy\u201d in the EU AI Act\u2014does not mean that all employees must be able to program language models or explain their mathematics.<\/p>\n

It is crucial that people have a basic understanding of how the systems they use work and what their limitations are. They should be able to identify risks and misuse, critically evaluate results, distinguish between permissible data, and understand their responsibilities in their respective work contexts. <\/p>\n

This is particularly important when sensitive information is being processed or when AI results can have significant consequences\u2014for example,<\/strong> in the judicial system, public administration, or religious organizations.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Example:<\/strong> An AI assistant can generate a compelling summary but may still misrepresent a deadline, an exception, or a source. AI literacy, then, involves not accepting the result at face value, verifying critical information against the original source, and refraining from entering inappropriate confidential data.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

Why Not Everyone Needs the Same AI Training<\/h2><\/div>

The EU AI Act does not require uniform training for everyone. The required level of competence depends on the AI system used, the context of use, the risks involved, and a person\u2019s actual role. <\/p>\n

In practice, a distinction can be made between foundational and role-specific AI competencies:<\/p>\n