The EU AI Act 'Delay' That Might Not Be a Delay

EU lawmakers just announced a provisional deal to push the AI Act's high-risk employment deadline from August 2026 to December 2027. For HR teams who've been scrambling to prepare, that sounds like welcome breathing room. Except — it might not be. The provisional agreement is part of the Digital AI Omnibus package, and it only becomes law once it's formally adopted and published in the EU Official Journal. If that publication doesn't happen before August 2, 2026? The original deadline still applies. Organizations that pause their compliance work are making a bet on a legislative timeline with no guaranteed end date. In this episode, we break down which HR AI systems actually qualify as high-risk (the list might surprise you), why the human-in-the-loop distinction could change your compliance posture, and the five concrete steps every HR team should be taking right now — regardless of which deadline actually lands.