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CURRENT BRIEF / AI

EU AI Act transparency rules are now live: what AI-facing teams should know

From 2 August 2026, key transparency requirements under the EU AI Act apply. Businesses using customer-facing AI or publishing certain AI-generated content should review where disclosure, labelling and machine-readable marking are required.

CURRENT BRIEF · SOURCE CHECKED 17 SEP 2026 · EUROPEAN COMMISSION
APPLICATION DATE02 AUG2026 for Article 50 transparency obligations
INTERACTIVE AIDISCLOSEpeople should be informed when they are interacting with AI where the rule applies
SYNTHETIC CONTENTMARKcertain generated or manipulated content requires detectable marking or labelling

Map where people interact with AI

List chatbots, automated assistants and other interfaces that directly interact with customers, employees or users. Check whether the experience clearly tells the person they are dealing with AI when required.

Review generated media workflows

The Commission says providers of generative AI must support identification of AI-generated content, while deployers have labelling duties for categories such as deepfakes and certain public-interest text. Content teams should know which outputs need disclosure before publishing.

Build disclosure into the workflow

Do not rely on someone remembering to add a label manually at the end. Put required disclosure, metadata and review checks into templates, publishing workflows and approval criteria.

Separate compliance from brand preference

A company may choose to disclose AI use more broadly than the legal minimum for trust or brand reasons. That is a separate decision from what the regulation specifically requires.

AI governance becomes operational when disclosure and review are built into the production system, not added as an afterthought.
OFFICIAL SOURCEEuropean Commission — AI Act enforcement and transparency requirements from 2 August 2026

This is an operational summary, not legal advice. Check the official guidance and obtain legal advice where the regulation may apply to your specific use case.

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