Accountability before models
European deployments fail late when legal and engineering teams are not aligned on purpose, data categories, and retention from the first architecture workshop.
Document processing activities, subprocessors, and cross-border flows before selecting vector stores or model providers.
RAG systems amplify GDPR risk when personal data is embedded without role-aware retrieval boundaries.
Technical controls that legal teams recognize
Implement minimization in ingestion, pseudonymization where possible, access-controlled retrieval, and deletion paths for embeddings tied to data subjects.
Maintain query logs with retention limits and explain how automated decisions can be reviewed or overridden by humans.
Offer EU region hosting and clear diagrams — procurement reviewers reward clarity over marketing claims.
AI Act awareness without panic
Map use cases to risk tiers and implement logging, oversight, and quality management proportional to impact.
Technical documentation should evolve with the system — not be generated once at launch and forgotten.
Partner with counsel on high-risk classifications; engineering owns implementable controls and evidence.