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How the EU will apply AI-generated content transparency duties from 2 August
The European Commission has issued a code and guidelines for AI Act Article 50 transparency duties that apply from 2 August 2026. The core point is that AI interaction, AI-generated or manipulated content, deepfakes, and some public-interest AI text may need clear disclosure depending on role and context.
This briefing does not treat EU rules as a global obligation for everyone. It uses official source material checked on 24 July 2026 to separate who is covered from what remains uncertain.
What Changes
Article 50 requires transparency when people interact with certain AI systems and when synthetic or manipulated audio, image, video, or text is made public in covered settings. The Commission guidelines state that the duties apply from 2 August 2026.
Who Is Covered
Providers and deployers have different duties. Providers may need to make AI interaction and generated outputs identifiable, while deployers may need to disclose deepfakes, emotion recognition, biometric categorisation, or public-interest AI text. The scope depends on the EU AI Act context.
Practical Impact
Operators may need content labels, machine-readable marks, user notices, and updated policy text. For readers, the main shift is that AI disclosure is moving from etiquette into a legal transparency duty in specific situations.
What Is Not Settled
The code is a voluntary compliance tool; it does not replace the legal duty. Enforcement, product-level design, and exceptions will depend on the AI Office, market surveillance authorities, the EDPS, and case-specific facts.
Next Checks
The next signal will come after 2 August 2026, when major AI services and platforms show how they implement labels and disclosures. Readers should use the guidelines for the provider/deployer split and the code page for voluntary compliance measures.
Official Sources
European Commission code page: transparency code for AI-generated content and its voluntary role
AI Board document: adequacy assessment and Article 50 compliance support role