AI Governance Engineer
GitHub

Distributor

By Updated

Under the EU AI Act, a person in the supply chain, other than the provider or the importer, who makes an AI system available on the Union market. It checks the marking and documents and holds back high-risk systems it believes do not conform 1.

Developed in
ch. 18, The EU operator roles
Chapters
ch. 18, EU AI Act
Contrast with
Importer
Source
1 numbered reference, listed below

Where it is used

5 chapters of the Body of Knowledge use the term. Each link opens the first section that does.

Distributor: mentions per chapter23 mentions of the term across 5 of the 23 chapters of the Body of Knowledge; the chapters the glossary cross-references are drawn solid.Cross-referenced chapterOther chapter08 Regulatory Map: 9 mentions08 Regulatory Map912 Governance Program: 1 mention12 Governance Program115 Deployment: 3 mentions15 Deployment317 Incidents: 4 mentions17 Incidents418 EU AI Act: 6 mentions18 EU AI Act6No mentions in the other 18 chaptersSource: the Body of Knowledgev0.5.0
Distributor: mentions per chapter23 mentions of the term across 5 of the 23 chapters of the Body of Knowledge; the chapters the glossary cross-references are drawn solid.Cross-referenced chapterOther chapter000102030405060708 Regulatory Map: 9 mentions908101112 Governance Program: 1 mention112131415 Deployment: 3 mentions3151617 Incidents: 4 mentions41718 EU AI Act: 6 mentions6181920212223Source: the Body of Knowledge v0.5.0
Mentions per chapter How often each chapter names the term, with the chapters the glossary cross-references drawn solid. The longest bar is where to read the term in use; bars spread across many chapters mark a term that runs through the discipline.
Mentions as a table
Mentions of Distributor per chapter
ChapterMentionsCross-referenced
00 Preface0No
01 Definition0No
02 Why Now0No
03 Values & Principles0No
04 The Stack0No
05 Patterns0No
06 The Role0No
07 Maturity Model0No
08 Regulatory Map9No
10 Reading List0No
11 AI Defined0No
12 Governance Program1No
13 Risk Management0No
14 Development0No
15 Deployment3No
16 Fairness & XAI0No
17 Incidents4No
18 EU AI Act6Yes
19 Privacy & AI0No
20 Existing Law0No
21 AI Laws Worldwide0No
22 Principles & Standards0No
23 AI Agents0No

Patterns that use this term

One pattern page uses the term.

Distributor: related terms and patternsThe term at the centre; related terms on solid edges, the terms it is contrasted with on dashed edges, and the patterns that use it most in the colour of their layer.RelatedContrastColour: stack layer of the pattern05 AssuranceDistributorRelated terms (7)Authorised representative · RelatedAuthorised representativeDeployer · RelatedDeployerDownstream provider · RelatedDownstream providerOperator (EU AI Act) · RelatedOperator (EU AI Act)Placing on the market · RelatedPlacing on the marketProvider · RelatedProviderSubstantial modification · RelatedSubstantial modificationContrast with (1)Importer · ContrastImporterPatterns using it (1)Incident Pipeline, 2 mentions · Uses the termIncident Pipeline
Distributor: related terms and patternsThe term at the centre; related terms on solid edges, the terms it is contrasted with on dashed edges, and the patterns that use it most in the colour of their layer.RelatedContrastColour: stack layer of the pattern05 AssuranceRelated terms (7)Authorised representative · RelatedAuthorised representativeDeployer · RelatedDeployerDownstream provider · RelatedDownstream providerOperator (EU AI Act) · RelatedOperator (EU AI Act)Placing on the market · RelatedPlacing on the marketProvider · RelatedProviderSubstantial modification · RelatedSubstantial modificationContrast with (1)Importer · ContrastImporterPatterns using it (1)Incident Pipeline, 2 mentions · Uses the termIncident PipelineDistributor
The term's neighbourhood Terms related to this one on solid edges, terms it is often confused with on dashed edges, and the patterns that use it most in the colour of their layer. Follow a dashed edge to check the distinction before you use either term.
Neighbourhood as a table
Neighbourhood of Distributor
FamilyItemRelation
Related termsAuthorised representativeRelated
Related termsDeployerRelated
Related termsDownstream providerRelated
Related termsOperator (EU AI Act)Related
Related termsPlacing on the marketRelated
Related termsProviderRelated
Related termsSubstantial modificationRelated
Contrast withImporterContrast
Patterns using itIncident Pipeline, 2 mentionsUses the term
  • Authorised representative

    Under the EU AI Act, a person established in the Union with a written mandate from a non-EU provider of a high-risk AI system or general-purpose AI model to…

  • Deployer

    Under the EU AI Act, whoever uses an AI system under its own authority, other than in a purely personal, non-professional activity.

  • Downstream provider

    Under the EU AI Act, the provider of an AI system that integrates an AI model, its own or one supplied by another entity.

  • Operator (EU AI Act)

    The umbrella term for the actors the AI Act binds: provider, product manufacturer, deployer, authorised representative, importer and distributor.

  • Placing on the market

    Under the EU AI Act, the first making available of an AI system or general-purpose AI model on the Union market; later supplies in the course of a commercial…

  • Provider

    Under the EU AI Act, whoever develops an AI system or general-purpose AI model, or has one developed, and places it on the market or puts it into service…

  • Substantial modification

    Under the EU AI Act, a change after placing on the market that the initial conformity assessment did not foresee and that affects compliance or changes the…

Sources

  1. [1] Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 (AI Act), consolidated text as amended by Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 (Digital Omnibus on AI, in force 27 Jul 2026; definitions in Art. 3, incl. 3(1), 3(3) to 3(14), 3(14b), 3(20), 3(22), 3(23), 3(29) to 3(32), 3(49), 3(55) to 3(57), 3(60), 3(61), 3(63), 3(68); Arts. 4, 5, 6 (incl. 6(3) third subparagraph, profiling), 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 17, 22 to 27 (incl. 26(11)), 40, 41, 43, 47, 48, 50, 53 (incl. 53(1)(c)), 55, 57, 60, 72, 73, 86; Annexes I, III, IV). Publications Office of the EU (EUR-Lex). 2026-07-27. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1689/2026-07-27/eng (verified: primary)

Definitions of legal terms paraphrase the cited text, which governs. Dated statements are as of .

Cite this term

García Aibar, J. (2026). Distributor. In AI Governance Engineering: The Thesis & Body of Knowledge (v0.5.0), Glossary. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22956197. https://aigovernanceengineer.com/glossary/distributor. CC BY 4.0

BibTeX

@misc{aige2026distributor,
  author  = {Jorge García Aibar},
  title   = {{Distributor}},
  note    = {Glossary, AI Governance Engineering: The Thesis \& Body of Knowledge, version 0.5.0},
  year    = {2026},
  doi     = {10.5281/zenodo.22956197},
  url     = {https://aigovernanceengineer.com/glossary/distributor}
}