Under the AI Act, a deployer is defined as any natural or legal person who uses an artificial intelligence system in the course of their professional activities.
📌 Official definition (Article 3 of the AI Act):
"Deployer" means any natural or legal person, public authority, agency or any other body who uses an AI system under their responsibility, unless such use is for non-professional personal purposes.
Examples of deployers in practice:
✔️ A bank that uses AI to analyze loan applications.
✔️ An HR firm that deploys an AI system to automatically sort resumes.
✔️ A hospital that uses AI to assist doctors in making diagnoses.
✔️ A cybersecurity company that uses AI to detect fraud or cyber attacks.
✔️ A public organization that implements an automated chatbot to respond to citizens.
💡 Difference between supplier and deployer?
- The supplier designs and brings to the market the AI system (e.g., OpenAI, Google, IBM).
- The deployer uses the AI in their activity (e.g., a bank using a credit scoring AI).
👉 Regulatory consequence: The supplier is responsible for ensuring the technical conformity of the AI, while the deployer must ensure that its usage complies with the rules and does not present risks to fundamental rights.