Map of the AI Act

Article 86: right to an explanation of a decision

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obligation

Article 86: right to an explanation of a decision

A person affected by a decision that a deployer takes on the basis of the output of a high-risk AI system listed in Annex III may request an explanation of the role of that system in the decision-making procedure and of the main elements of the decision taken.

based on

Article 86 on EUR-Lexguidance

carries the duty

Deployerrole · editorial reading

calls for

Set up how you handle a request for an explanationaction · editorial reading

evidenced by

controlled by

Routing and deadline tracking of a request for an explanationcontrol · editorial reading

supported by

Full text of Article 86template · editorial reading

Legendroleobligationactionevidencesolid line: official findingdashed line: our reading

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obligation

Article 86: right to an explanation of a decision

Applies since 2026-08-02

The legal path

Source ·: Article 86 on EUR-Lex
Condition ·: Applies where a deployer takes a decision about a natural person on the basis of the output of a high-risk AI system listed in Annex III, with the exception of point 2 of that Annex, and that decision produces legal effects or similarly significantly affects that person in a way they consider to have an adverse impact on their health, safety or fundamental rights.
Exception ·: Paragraph 2 excludes the right for AI systems where exceptions from, or restrictions to, that obligation follow from Union or national law in compliance with Union law. Paragraph 3 further limits the right to cases where it is not otherwise provided for under Union law, which makes the boundary with Article 22 GDPR a case-by-case question.

Open in the explorer

Checked on 2026-08-08T00:00:00.000Z · praxikon:eu:ai-act:obligation:article-86-right-to-explanation

Read the map atin force now 2 Feb 2025 2 Aug 2025 27 Jul 2026 2 Aug 2026 2 Dec 2026 2 Aug 2027 2 Dec 2027 2 Aug 2028

Read at 2 Aug 2028. What did not yet apply on that date is not shown here. The requirements for high-risk systems embedded in regulated products under Annex I apply.