AI Course Certificate: What You Get and What the Law Requires

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An “AI course with a certificate” can sound like something companies have to buy for employees under the AI Act. They do not: the regulation does not require any certificate, either for individuals or for training providers. The European Commission says that an internal training register is enough. A document issued after a course can still be useful for your CV or company records, and as evidence that training took place. Here’s what that piece of paper can really show, and how to tell a useful document from a marketing claim.

What the law requires - and what it doesn’t

Here’s what is true: Article 4 has applied since 2 February 2025 and covers every company whose employees use AI at work. The dates and requirements may also be affected by later changes to the rules, so check the current text of the regulation and relevant guidance. Read more about Article 4 of the AI Act and about records that may be useful in an inspection.

What you really get from a course document

The word “certificate” can refer to very different things in AI course offers. Here’s what the documents can mean for three groups:

• You: proof of completion for your CV or professional profile. Employers are more likely to look at the course content and date than the document’s name.
• Your company: a record of who was trained, when, and on what. For an inspection, it matters whether the document can be linked to a course programme and a list of participants.
• The course provider: a sales claim. “Certificate” may sound more appealing than “proof of completion,” even though an online course often provides the same kind of document under either name.

A separate category is certification from an independent institution, awarded after an exam against a defined standard. This can matter in particular professions, but the AI Act does not require it. For an employee who uses a chatbot to write emails, it may be more than they need.

Six things a useful course document should include

A document can be useful for company records when it includes:

1. Your name - a document addressed only “to the participant” proves little if it does not identify you.
2. Completion date - rules changed in 2026, so the date can show whether the training took place before or after the Omnibus changes.
3. Course content - a list of topics or a link to the course programme.
4. Test result, if there was one - optional, but it can show that you did more than click “next.”
5. A reference number and a way to verify it - for example, a QR code or a web address where the document’s authenticity can be checked.
6. The issuer - who delivered the course and how to contact them.

This scale is my opinion, not a legal standard. It reflects how easily you can link a document to a specific company measure.

Should you take a course for yourself or arrange company training?

My course: what you get and what I don’t promise

I’m being open about this because it is my product. I created the Biegli w AI online course for the kind of company training described in the third row of the table. As of 13 October 2026, it includes:

• 13 lessons in 4 modules, around 2 hours and 15 minutes, with learning paths for marketing, HR, customer service, and management;
• a 15-question final test, with a pass mark of 70%;
• named proof of completion with a reference number and a QR code for online verification;
• company packages with an HR dashboard showing progress and results, plus printable Article 4 records: a register of AI tools, an AI policy, a programme, a results-based participant list, and a refresher plan.

What I don’t promise is that a company “complies with the AI Act” after taking the course. A company chooses and documents its Article 4 measures; a course is one of them, alongside policies and a register of tools. I call the document proof of completion, not a certificate, for the reasons explained above. Details are on the Biegli w AI course page, and the company training page describes packages for teams.

Red flags in AI course offers

• Claims of an “AI Act certificate” or a “certificate of AI Act compliance” for employees.
• Warnings that you could be fined €15 million or €35 million for not providing training.
• Outdated deadlines from before the Omnibus changes, such as saying that high-risk systems become subject to requirements “from 2 August 2026” when the revised date for Annex III is 2 December 2027.
• No coverage of the rules that apply in your jurisdiction.
• A document with no course content, date, or way to verify it.
• A promise of “full compliance” after a single webinar.

Frequently asked questions

Does the AI Act require a certificate for AI training?

No. In its Q&A on AI skills, the European Commission says a certificate is not needed and a company can keep an internal record of training and other measures.

What’s the difference between proof of completion and a certificate?

For online courses, usually just the name - both may confirm that you completed a course with a particular provider. A certificate from an independent institution, awarded after an exam against a standard, is different, but the AI Act does not require that either.

Is a free AI course enough for a company?

It can be one of the measures under Article 4, especially as a starting point. Article 4 also requires companies to take account of the context in which they use AI, so it may make sense to supplement a general course with policies and training on your own tools.

Do employees have to take a test?

No. There is no such requirement. A test can help document that training took place and that participants retained something from it.

How can you check whether a course document is genuine?

Look for a reference number and a QR code, or a web address where you can verify it with the issuer. Without a way to check, it is just a PDF.

This is not legal advice.

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