EU expands Brussels team to enforce AI Act

The European Union is expanding its AI Office in Brussels to monitor companies worldwide for violations of the AI Act, which comes into force on Sunday. The bloc plans to track uses of AI models linked to sexually explicit material, fake photos and videos, and cyber threats to public infrastructure, while requiring companies to label or digitally watermark AI-generated chatbots and imagery for consumers.

The European Commission said the new rules also cover systemic risks including chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear incidents, loss of control, cyber offence, harmful manipulation and threats to fundamental rights. The office will add 38 people to oversee firms ranging from startups to major American and Chinese companies such as OpenAI and DeepSeek, with authority to request documentation and interview company staff during investigations.

Brussels has also introduced a Whistleblower Tool for tech workers and a Compliance Tool for users to confidentially report illegal conduct. Companies that breach the AI Act could face fines or lose access to the EU market, as the 27-nation EU pursues a wider tech sovereignty agenda and tries to reduce dependence on US and Chinese technology while building its own AI capacity.