AI-generated content now requires labelling in the EU

As of 2 August 2026, new transparency rules under the EU AI Act have come into effect requiring companies to label AI-generated or AI-manipulated content.

The regulation aims to make it easier for users to distinguish between authentic and AI-generated content through clear labelling. Organisations that fail to comply may face substantial fines. Existing AI systems have until 2 December 2026 to adapt to the new rules, and there are exemptions for "artistic, creative, satirical, fictional" work. Under the new rules, companies must clearly disclose when users are interacting with AI systems, and certain AI-generated or significantly AI-manipulated content must be identifiable as such. The rules apply not only to AI developers, but also to organisations using AI professionally. Depending on how AI is used, businesses may need to clearly indicate when content such as images, videos, audio or text has been generated or significantly altered by AI. AI providers are also expected to implement technical measures, such as machine-readable markers where it’s feasible. The guideline also states that deployers of AI systems must inform individuals when they are exposed to:

• Emotion recognition and biometric categorisation tools
• Deepfakes
• Text publications on matters of public interest without human review or editorial control.

While the regulation focuses primarily on transparency rather than restricting AI use, it introduces new responsibilities for companies having AI in their content production workflows. For agencies and brands this means AI governance is no longer just an internal discussion, companies must review how AI is used across content production. The regulation leaves room for further guidance and interpretation, so best practices will continue to evolve. But one thing is already clear: transparency around AI-generated content is becoming an expectation, not just a competitive advantage.