EU code sets framework for labelling AI-generated content

The European Commission and the AI Board have confirmed a voluntary code of practice as an adequate tool for demonstrating compliance with the AI Act’s transparency obligations. The requirements, applicable from 2 August 2026, address deception and manipulation through marking, detection and disclosure of AI-generated or manipulated content. Signing the code is optional, but meeting the legal obligations is not.

For providers, the framework covers machine-readable markings and detection of generated audio, images, video and text. Technical solutions must be effective, interoperable, robust and reliable as far as technically feasible, taking account of content limitations, implementation costs and technical standards. Deployers must disclose deepfakes and AI-generated or manipulated text informing the public on matters of public interest, unless the publication has undergone human review and is subject to editorial responsibility. The EU has also created optional labelling icons.

Signatories can rely on the code’s measures to demonstrate compliance, reducing administrative burdens and providing greater legal certainty across Member States. Organisations using alternative approaches must demonstrate their adequacy to market surveillance authorities individually. Independent experts developed the framework through a stakeholder process facilitated by the AI Office. It complements, rather than replaces, the AI Act and Commission guidelines, while signatory taskforces will share practices and support implementation.