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Safety component

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Under the AI Act as amended in 2026, a component of a product or AI system whose intended purpose is to prevent or mitigate risks to the health and safety of persons or property, or whose failure endangers them. AI used solely for convenience, efficiency or quality control is excluded unless its failure would endanger safety 1.

Developed in
ch. 18, High-risk through products (Annex I)
Chapters
ch. 18, EU AI Act
Source
1 numbered reference, listed below

Where it is used

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

Safety component: mentions per chapter8 mentions of the term across 2 of the 23 chapters of the Body of Knowledge; the chapters the glossary cross-references are drawn solid.Cross-referenced chapterOther chapter08 Regulatory Map: 1 mention08 Regulatory Map118 EU AI Act: 7 mentions18 EU AI Act7No mentions in the other 21 chaptersSource: the Body of Knowledgev0.5.0
Safety component: mentions per chapter8 mentions of the term across 2 of the 23 chapters of the Body of Knowledge; the chapters the glossary cross-references are drawn solid.Cross-referenced chapterOther chapter000102030405060708 Regulatory Map: 1 mention108101112131415161718 EU AI Act: 7 mentions7181920212223Source: 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 Safety component 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 Map1No
10 Reading List0No
11 AI Defined0No
12 Governance Program0No
13 Risk Management0No
14 Development0No
15 Deployment0No
16 Fairness & XAI0No
17 Incidents0No
18 EU AI Act7Yes
19 Privacy & AI0No
20 Existing Law0No
21 AI Laws Worldwide0No
22 Principles & Standards0No
23 AI Agents0No
Safety component: 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.RelatedSafety componentRelated terms (5)AI Act (EU) · RelatedAI Act (EU)AI system · RelatedAI systemAnnex I (EU AI Act) · RelatedAnnex I (EU AI Act)High-risk AI system · RelatedHigh-risk AI systemIntended purpose · RelatedIntended purpose
Safety component: 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.RelatedRelated terms (5)AI Act (EU) · RelatedAI Act (EU)AI system · RelatedAI systemAnnex I (EU AI Act) · RelatedAnnex I (EU AI Act)High-risk AI system · RelatedHigh-risk AI systemIntended purpose · RelatedIntended purposeSafetycomponent
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 Safety component
FamilyItemRelation
Related termsAI Act (EU)Related
Related termsAI systemRelated
Related termsAnnex I (EU AI Act)Related
Related termsHigh-risk AI systemRelated
Related termsIntended purposeRelated
  • Annex I (EU AI Act)

    The AI Act annex listing the Union harmonisation legislation under which AI is embedded in regulated products (machinery, medical devices, toys and the like)…

  • High-risk AI system

    Under the EU AI Act, an AI system that is a safety component of, or itself, a product under Annex I legislation needing third-party conformity assessment, or…

  • Intended purpose

    The use for which the provider intends an AI system, including its specific context and conditions of use.

  • AI Act (EU)

    Regulation (EU) 2024/1689, the EU's horizontal, risk-tiered law for AI, amended by the Digital Omnibus.

  • AI system

    For governance, the object the AI definition brings into scope.

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). Safety component. In AI Governance Engineering: The Thesis & Body of Knowledge (v0.5.0), Glossary. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22956197. https://aigovernanceengineer.com/glossary/safety-component. CC BY 4.0

BibTeX

@misc{aige2026safetycomponent,
  author  = {Jorge García Aibar},
  title   = {{Safety component}},
  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/safety-component}
}