AI regulation in Hungary: the EU AI Act (2026)

Yes. As an EU member, Hungary is covered by the EU AI Act (Regulation (EU) 2024/1689), which applies directly.

It uses a risk-based approach: unacceptable-risk AI is banned, high-risk AI faces strict obligations, and general-purpose AI models carry transparency duties.

It is phased: prohibitions applied from February 2025, general-purpose-AI rules from August 2025, and most high-risk obligations from August 2026.

Up to €35 million or 7% of global annual turnover for breaching the prohibited-AI rules, with lower tiers for other breaches.

Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 entered into force on 1 August 2024 and is directly applicable in Hungary. Prohibited-practice and AI-literacy provisions applied from 2 February 2025; the bulk of obligations apply from 2 August 2026; Article 6(1) on high-risk classification from 2 August 2027.

Act LXXV of 2025 (Az Európai Unió mesterséges intelligenciáról szóló rendeletének magyarországi végrehajtásáról) entered into force 1 December 2025, laying out Hungarian market-surveillance and notification procedures for AI systems placed on the market or used domestically. Sections 3(2) and 10 (on regulatory sandboxes) take effect 2 August 2026.

Government Decree No. 344/2025 (X.31) designates the Minister of Enterprise Development as the AI market surveillance authority (Art. 70 EU AI Act) and the National Accreditation Authority (Nemzeti Akkreditációs Hatóság) as the notifying authority (Art. 28 EU AI Act). The Hungarian National Bank (Magyar Nemzeti Bank) is the sector-specific authority for high-risk AI in financial services.

Act LXXV of 2025 establishes the Hungarian Artificial Intelligence Council, an advisory body composed of government, academic, research, and business representatives. It guides national AI strategy, monitors fundamental-rights compliance, and provides recommendations for EU AI Act implementation, but holds no binding decision-making powers.

Published 3 September 2025, Hungary's renewed National AI Strategy 2025-2030 identifies six pillars: computing infrastructure, a national AI centre, data ecosystem, AI competency development, AI for society (public services), and AI for business (SMEs, manufacturing, agriculture). It explicitly adopts OECD AI Principles and aligns with EU AI Act enforcement priorities.

Act LXXV of 2025 mandates that the market surveillance authority operate an AI regulatory sandbox (per EU AI Act Art. 57) to allow SMEs and start-ups to test innovative AI systems under supervised conditions. Full sandbox activation is set for 2 August 2026 under the Act's transitional provisions.