The EU AI Act's High-Risk Rules Went Live in August 2026 — And They Just Handed US Law Firms a New Vendor Question They Cannot Answer

August 2026 brought full application of the EU AI Act's high-risk obligations, and AI used in legal services sits inside that scope. Combined with the NYC Bar's call for a nationwide AI framework and GenAI use jumping to 41% of firms, the question clients are starting to ask has shifted from 'do you use AI?' to 'where does it run, and can you document it?'