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GPAI

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General-purpose AI model: under the AI Act, a model that shows significant generality, can competently perform a wide range of distinct tasks and can be integrated into many downstream systems 1. The Commission's indicative criterion is training compute above 10^23 FLOP 2. The AI Office enforces GPAI duties from 2 Aug 2026.

Developed in
ch. 18, General-purpose AI models
ch. 11, Foundation models and GPAI
Chapters
ch. 08, Regulatory Map · ch. 11, AI Defined · ch. 18, EU AI Act
Contrast with
Foundation model
Source
2 numbered references, listed below

Where it is used

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

GPAI: mentions per chapter130 mentions of the term across 16 of the 23 chapters of the Body of Knowledge; the chapters the glossary cross-references are drawn solid.Cross-referenced chapterOther chapter01 Definition: 1 mention01 Definition102 Why Now: 5 mentions02 Why Now504 The Stack: 3 mentions04 The Stack306 The Role: 1 mention06 The Role108 Regulatory Map: 28 mentions08 Regulatory Map2810 Reading List: 5 mentions10 Reading List511 AI Defined: 8 mentions11 AI Defined812 Governance Program: 1 mention12 Governance Program113 Risk Management: 1 mention13 Risk Management114 Development: 9 mentions14 Development915 Deployment: 10 mentions15 Deployment1017 Incidents: 17 mentions17 Incidents1718 EU AI Act: 28 mentions18 EU AI Act2820 Existing Law: 5 mentions20 Existing Law522 Principles & Standards: 3 mentions22 Principles & Standards323 AI Agents: 5 mentions23 AI Agents5No mentions in the other 7 chaptersSource: the Body of Knowledgev0.5.0
GPAI: mentions per chapter130 mentions of the term across 16 of the 23 chapters of the Body of Knowledge; the chapters the glossary cross-references are drawn solid.Cross-referenced chapterOther chapter0001 Definition: 1 mention10102 Why Now: 5 mentions5020304 The Stack: 3 mentions3040506 The Role: 1 mention1060708 Regulatory Map: 28 mentions280810 Reading List: 5 mentions51011 AI Defined: 8 mentions81112 Governance Program: 1 mention11213 Risk Management: 1 mention11314 Development: 9 mentions91415 Deployment: 10 mentions10151617 Incidents: 17 mentions171718 EU AI Act: 28 mentions28181920 Existing Law: 5 mentions5202122 Principles & Standards: 3 mentions32223 AI Agents: 5 mentions523Source: 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 GPAI per chapter
ChapterMentionsCross-referenced
00 Preface0No
01 Definition1No
02 Why Now5No
03 Values & Principles0No
04 The Stack3No
05 Patterns0No
06 The Role1No
07 Maturity Model0No
08 Regulatory Map28Yes
10 Reading List5No
11 AI Defined8Yes
12 Governance Program1No
13 Risk Management1No
14 Development9No
15 Deployment10No
16 Fairness & XAI0No
17 Incidents17No
18 EU AI Act28Yes
19 Privacy & AI0No
20 Existing Law5No
21 AI Laws Worldwide0No
22 Principles & Standards3No
23 AI Agents5No

Patterns that use this term

5 pattern pages use the term, most mentions first.

GPAI: 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 pattern02 Inventory03 Evals05 AssuranceGPAIRelated terms (7)Authorised representative · RelatedAuthorised representativeDownstream modifier (GPAI) · RelatedDownstream modifier (GPAI)Downstream provider · RelatedDownstream providerPlacing on the market · RelatedPlacing on the marketPresumption of conformity · RelatedPresumption of conformityRights reservation (TDM opt-out) · RelatedRights reservationTraining-content summary · RelatedTraining-content summaryContrast with (1)Foundation model · ContrastFoundation modelPatterns using it (5)AIBOM, 2 mentions · Uses the termAIBOMAdversarial Red-Team Suite, 1 mention · Uses the termAdversarial Red-Team SuiteIncident Pipeline, 5 mentions · Uses the termIncident PipelineTraining-Data Rights Ledger, 1 mention · Uses the termTraining-Data Rights LedgerVendor / Model Due-Diligence Gate, 4 mentions · Uses the termVendor / Model Due-Diligence
GPAI: 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 pattern02 Inventory03 Evals05 AssuranceRelated terms (7)Authorised representative · RelatedAuthorised representativeDownstream modifier (GPAI) · RelatedDownstream modifier (GPAI)Downstream provider · RelatedDownstream providerPlacing on the market · RelatedPlacing on the marketPresumption of conformity · RelatedPresumption of conformityRights reservation (TDM opt-out) · RelatedRights reservationTraining-content summary · RelatedTraining-content summaryContrast with (1)Foundation model · ContrastFoundation modelPatterns using it (5)AIBOM, 2 mentions · Uses the termAIBOMAdversarial Red-Team Suite, 1 mention · Uses the termAdversarial Red-Team SuiteIncident Pipeline, 5 mentions · Uses the termIncident PipelineTraining-Data Rights Ledger, 1 mention · Uses the termTraining-Data Rights LedgerVendor / Model Due-Diligence Gate, 4 mentions · Uses the termVendor / Model Due-DiligenceGPAI
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 GPAI
FamilyItemRelation
Related termsAuthorised representativeRelated
Related termsDownstream modifier (GPAI)Related
Related termsDownstream providerRelated
Related termsPlacing on the marketRelated
Related termsPresumption of conformityRelated
Related termsRights reservation (TDM opt-out)Related
Related termsTraining-content summaryRelated
Contrast withFoundation modelContrast
Patterns using itAIBOM, 2 mentionsUses the term
Patterns using itAdversarial Red-Team Suite, 1 mentionUses the term
Patterns using itIncident Pipeline, 5 mentionsUses the term
Patterns using itTraining-Data Rights Ledger, 1 mentionUses the term
Patterns using itVendor / Model Due-Diligence Gate, 4 mentionsUses the term
  • Rights reservation (TDM opt-out)

    A rightholder's express reservation of text and data mining under Article 4(3) of the DSM Directive, which takes the content out of the general mining…

  • Downstream modifier (GPAI)

    An actor that fine-tunes or modifies another provider's general-purpose AI model.

  • 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…

  • Presumption of conformity

    The legal effect under AI Act Article 40: a high-risk system or GPAI model that conforms with OJ-cited harmonised standards is presumed to meet the…

  • Training-content summary

    The public summary of the content used to train a general-purpose AI model, required by AI Act Article 53(1)(d) on a mandatory Commission template covering…

  • 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…

  • 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.

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)
  2. [2] Commission Guidelines on the scope of the obligations for providers of general-purpose AI models (content approved 18 July 2025 by C(2025) 5045 final; formal text C(2025) 7719 final of 19 Nov 2025; paras. 65 to 68 on modifiers; non-binding; indicative criterion of training compute above 10^23 FLOP with the ability to generate language, images or video). European Commission. 2025-11-19. https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/guidelines-scope-obligations-providers-general-purpose-ai-models-under-ai-act (verified: primary)

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

Cite this term

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

BibTeX

@misc{aige2026gpai,
  author  = {Jorge García Aibar},
  title   = {{GPAI}},
  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/gpai}
}