Leveraging Existing Road-Vehicle Standards to Address EU AI Act Compliance

Shanza Ali Zafar, Jessica Kelly, Lena Heidemann, Núria Mata

Abstract: As AI systems are increasingly deployed in high-stakes domains, regulatory frameworks like the European Union AI Act (EU AIA) play a crucial role in ensuring their safe and re-sponsible use. While the EU AIA imposes stringent requirements on high-risk AI systems, second only to outright prohibitions, it provides only high-level guidance on implementation. This lack of detailed, practical instructions creates uncertainty for organizations, particularly in sectors that are already heavily regulated, such as the road-vehicle industry. To address this challenge, this paper examines how current road vehicle safety standards align with the EU AIA's requirements for high-risk AI systems. The outcome is a comprehensive mapping that highlights both alignments and gaps, offering valuable insights for organizations in both regulated and less-regulated sectors. Using this mapping, we present an exemplary assurance argumentation structure for one high-risk AI system requirement.