EU Finalises Code of Practice for AI-Generated Content Marking and Labelling

The European Union has published a code of practice to support compliance with transparency obligations under the AI Act for the marking and labelling of AI-generated content. The obligations in Article 50 address risks of deception and manipulation and aim to foster the integrity of the information ecosystem. They apply from 2 August 2026 and complement other rules such as those for high-risk AI systems and general-purpose AI models. The requirements cover the marking and detection of AI-generated content as well as the labelling of deepfakes and certain AI-generated publications. The code was developed by independent experts through a multi-stakeholder process facilitated by the AI Office. It contains two sections. Section 1 sets rules for providers on the marking and detection of AI-generated and manipulated content. Section 2 sets rules for deployers on the labelling of deepfakes and AI-generated or manipulated text. The EU has also created icons that deployers may use to label AI-generated content. The code was published on 10 June 2026 and is undergoing an adequacy assessment by the Commission and the AI Board. It will be complemented by Commission guidelines on the scope of the obligations in Article 50. Providers and deployers of generative AI systems may sign the code. Signatories can rely on its measures to demonstrate compliance with the AI Act rules for labelling and detection. The code promotes a consistent implementation of the transparency obligations. It does not replace the AI Act or the Commission guidelines. Providers and deployers that sign the code will also collaborate in signatory taskforces to share practices. The drafting process included feedback from a public consultation and expert studies commissioned by the AI Office. Two working groups addressed the obligations for providers and deployers respectively.