Dentsu said today it has become the first global marketing and advertising holding company to sign the EU AI Pact, a voluntary initiative led by the European Commission to promote responsible AI practices ahead of the EU AI Act’s full implementation (now scheduled for August 2026). 

Dentsu noted that brands are voicing concerns about how agencies utilize AI, citing a recent study by the World Federation of Advertisers that revealed that 80% of brands are worried about generative AI use by their creative and media agencies.  

The holding company noted that the EU AI Act—the first provisions of which went into effect last August—focuses on developing strategies to integrate AI responsibly and ensure compliance with regulations.  

The act also calls for identifying and managing AI systems that may pose “significant risks.” It also mandates educating company teams that use it so that they have the skills to deploy AI responsibly. 

So far over 130 organizations, including Adobe, Mastercard, and Google, have signed the Pact. 

Among other commitments, Dentsu said it was developing higher risk AI use cases and rolling out companywide training programs with the AI Connective and its Live Learning Enablement Program.  

Dentsu has enterprise-grade AI infrastructure and partnerships with Microsoft, Adobe, AWS, Google, and Salesforce and has developed 80+ AI solutions that address “real-world business challenges while striving to meet the highest standards of security, privacy, and responsible AI.” 

Through its investment arm Dentsu Ventures, it has has backed AI startups such as Inworld, Fidder, and VidMob. 

Pictured above is a frame from an EU video promoting the need to regulate AI.