Federal Council AI regulatory approach (2025): requirements, deadlines and compliance actions
Federal Council decision on the regulation of artificial intelligence: ratification of the Council of Europe Convention and sector-specific adjustments
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- Source-linked
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On this page 8 sections
In brief
Federal Council AI regulatory approach (2025) is a non-binding policy of Switzerland, issued by the Swiss Federal Council. It was adopted on 12 February 2025. Sets direction for federal law-making; creates no obligations until implementing legislation is adopted. Every record here links to its official source and states its verification status.
- Jurisdiction
- Switzerland
- Instrument type
- Policy
- Status
- Adopted
- Legal force
- Non-binding (guidance, strategy or standard)
- Issuing body
- Swiss Federal Council
- Adopted
- 12 February 2025
- Verification
- Verified against the official source 26 Sep 2026
What is Federal Council AI regulatory approach (2025)?
On 12 February 2025 the Federal Council decided how Switzerland will regulate AI: it will ratify the Council of Europe Framework Convention on AI and implement it mainly through targeted changes to existing law where needed (for example transparency, data protection and non-discrimination), avoid a horizontal AI act, and complement legislation with non-binding measures such as self-regulation and agreements with industry. Federal departments were tasked to prepare a consultation draft by the end of 2026.
Who does it apply to?
Sets direction for federal law-making; creates no obligations until implementing legislation is adopted.
- Sectors
- Cross-sector / all sectors
- AI use cases
- AI in public services
When do the requirements apply?
2025-02-12: Federal Council decision; end of 2026: consultation draft due.
| Date | Milestone | Source reference | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consultation draft on ratification and legal amendments Deadline set by the Federal Council for the consultation draft. |
— | Scheduled confidence: medium |
Dates are taken from the linked official source; a reviewer should confirm in-force and application dates before relying on them.
Official sources
-
Federal Council wants to ratify the Council of Europe Convention on AI
Swiss Federal Council · 12 Feb 2025 · Tier 1 source
Cite this record
AIPolicyTracker (2026). “Federal Council AI regulatory approach (2025)” [AIPT-POL-0181, record version 1, verified 26 September 2026 by Bhaskar Bhatt]. https://aipolicytracker.org/id/AIPT-POL-0181 (accessed 27 October 2026). Data licensed CC BY 4.0.
Permanent id AIPT-POL-0181: it never changes or gets reused, and its address keeps working if this page moves.
Cite the official text alongside it: Federal Council wants to ratify the Council of Europe Convention on AI, Swiss Federal Council, https://www.admin.ch/gov/en/start/documentation/media-releases.msg-id-104110.html.
BibTeX
@misc{aipolicytracker2026_federalcouncilairegulato,
author = {{AIPolicyTracker}},
title = {{Federal Council AI regulatory approach (2025)}},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {\url{https://aipolicytracker.org/policies/switzerland-federal-council-ai-regulatory-approach-2025}},
url = {https://aipolicytracker.org/policies/switzerland-federal-council-ai-regulatory-approach-2025},
urldate = {2026-10-27},
note = {Data licensed CC BY 4.0. Accessed 27 October 2026}
}
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Record history
No change to this record's tracked fields has been recorded since 15 October 2026, when field-level history began.
Record version 1: Added in the September 2026 global coverage expansion from the official source listed; reviewer to confirm dates, status and scope against the source text. Every earlier wording is in the GitHub repository.
Frequently asked questions
Is Federal Council AI regulatory approach (2025) in force?
Not yet. Federal Council AI regulatory approach (2025) has been adopted (12 February 2025).
Is Federal Council AI regulatory approach (2025) legally binding?
No. Federal Council AI regulatory approach (2025) is a policy; it sets expectations rather than legal requirements, unless another instrument gives it force.
Who does Federal Council AI regulatory approach (2025) apply to?
Sets direction for federal law-making; creates no obligations until implementing legislation is adopted.
When does Federal Council AI regulatory approach (2025) apply?
2025-02-12: Federal Council decision; end of 2026: consultation draft due.
Where is the official text of Federal Council AI regulatory approach (2025)?
The official text is published by Swiss Federal Council at https://www.admin.ch/gov/en/start/documentation/media-releases.msg-id-104110.html (Federal Council wants to ratify the Council of Europe Convention on AI). This record links to it and is checked against it.
Disclaimer: informational only, not legal advice. Verify every claim against the linked official sources and consult a qualified lawyer before acting.