Future Proofing the DMA for Agentic AI: Lessons from the AI Act
Keywords:
Artificial Intelligence, AI Agents, Agentic AI, AI Act, Digital Regulation, Digital Markets Act, Core Platform Services, Gatekeeper, General Definition, Delegated ActsAbstract
Fully automated agents will soon be changing the landscape of the digital economy. In the process, they will make the lives of consumers a whole lot easier. However, the age of Agentic Artificial Intelligence (AI) presents new challenges for digital regulation, particularly for the Digital Markets Act (DMA). Due to the different business models of such AI Agents, it is by no means certain that the DMA is even applicable to these services. This is especially true for those AI Agents that can automatically conclude contracts for consumers. While the introduction of special rules for AI Agents in international contract law has been discussed for some time, the DMA shows a significant blind spot in this regard, as these services do not fall under any category of core platform services in the DMA. This problematic gap could be closed either by introducing a general definition of core platform services or by extending the Commission’s mandate to adopt delegated acts in order to add new services to the list of core platform services. That the latter solution is feasible is suggested by a comparison of the DMA’s rules with the rules for high-risk AI systems in the European AI Act.
References
Göhsl, J.-F. (2025). Future proofing the DMA for agentic AI: Lessons from the AI Act. World Competition, *48*(3), 315–336.
Bostoen, F., & Krämer, J. (2026). How future-proof is the DMA? A case study of AI agents. Journal of Competition Law & Economics, nhag005. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1093/joclec/nhag005
Bostoen, F., & Krämer, J. (2025). Is the DMA ready for agentic AI? Centre on Regulation in Europe (CERRE).
Colangelo, G. (2026). The DMA meets the new intermediaries: AI agents and the future of gatekeeper regulation (White Paper). International Center for Law & Economics.
International Center for Law & Economics. (2026). The DMA's AI dilemma: Too soon, too late, or both? ICLE.
DMA High-Level Group. (2025). Joint paper on artificial intelligence. European Commission. https://digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP. (2025). Intersection of Digital Markets Act and AI regulation (EU). AI Law - International Review of Artificial Intelligence Law.
European Commission. (2025). DMA first review: Consultation on emerging technologies. European Commission.
Marinai, S. (2025). Intelligenza artificiale tra intese e collusioni algoritmiche nel diritto dell'Unione europea: questioni interpretative alla luce del DMA, DSA e AI Act. Eurojus.
Heinze, C. (2026). Agentic AI in trademark and unfair competition law. Intellectual Property Law Discussion Group, University of Oxford.
Rathi, N. (2026, June 24). Re-thinking regulation for the age of AI [Speech]. techUK's Agents of Change: Generative and Agentic AI in Financial Services 2026. Financial Conduct Authority.
Goodwin Procter LLP. (2025). Antitrust and AI in the digital age: Antitrust authorities rethink coordination. Insights.
European Parliament & Council of the European Union. (2022). Regulation (EU) 2022/1925 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 September 2022 on contestable and fair markets in the digital sector (Digital Markets Act). OJ L 265, 12 October 2022, 1–66.
European Parliament & Council of the European Union. (2024). Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 of 13 June 2024 laying down harmonised rules on artificial intelligence (Artificial Intelligence Act). OJ L, 2024/1689.
European Commission. (2025). Report from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament: Annual report on Regulation (EU) 2022/1925 (Digital Markets Act) (COM(2025) 166 final).
Bostoen, F. (2023). Understanding the Digital Markets Act. The Antitrust Bulletin, *68*(2), 264–290.
Franck, J.-U., & Peitz, M. (2024). The Digital Markets Act and the Whack-A-Mole challenge. Common Market Law Review, *61*(2), 299–334.
Ibáñez Colomo, P. (2021). The Draft Digital Markets Act: A legal and institutional analysis. Journal of Competition Law & Practice, *12*(7), 573–590.
Cremer, J., Dinielli, D., Heidhues, P., et al. (2023). Enforcing the Digital Markets Act: Institutional choices, compliance, and antitrust. Journal of Antitrust Enforcement, *11*(3), 315–350.
Tzanaki, A., & Nowag, J. (2024). The institutional framework of the DMA: From hybrid to mature? SSRN Electronic Journal.
