EU's AI labeling and transparency rules now in effect
As of August 2, the European Union's transparency obligations under the AI Act require companies to disclose AI interactions and clearly mark AI-generated or manipulated content, with fines for non-compliance.
The European Union has put into force additional regulations designed to help people recognize chatbots and AI-generated deepfakes online. The new transparency duties under the bloc's landmark AI Act took effect on August 2, mandating that companies inform users when they are interacting with AI systems and when content has been produced or altered by them.
The obligations differ for providers—companies that develop and market AI systems—and deployers, which are platforms and services using these systems, though some firms fall into both categories. Providers must build AI systems that explicitly notify users when they are dealing with an AI rather than a human, unless it is obvious, and include machine-readable markers on synthetic audio, images, video, and text so they can be identified as artificially generated or manipulated. Deployers, meanwhile, must label any AI-generated or altered image, audio, or video deepfake that appears realistic.
The European Commission explained in its transparency guidelines that the rapid growth of generative and interactive AI makes it harder to distinguish between AI interactions and content and authentic human-created material. People should be aware when they encounter AI so they can make informed decisions, calibrate their trust, and guard against misinformation or deception.
The Commission also introduced a set of voluntary AI disclosure labels for tech platforms to adopt, along with usage examples. These labels mirror those already introduced by TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. The EU-designed icons are meant to spare platforms from designing their own, but while the example labels are optional, the Commission stresses that the labeling requirements themselves are not.
Companies failing to comply face fines of up to €15 million (about $17.2 million), or 3 percent of their global annual turnover. The transparency rules apply immediately to new AI systems, while models and services launched before August 2 have until December 2 to adapt.
