European Commission clarifies EU AI Act transparency rules

The European Commission issued guidelines on July 20, 2026, to help providers and deployers of AI systems comply with transparency requirements under the EU AI Act. The guidance explains which organizations fall within the rules and clarifies concepts including directly interactive AI systems such as chatbots, synthetic content generated fully or partly by AI, and deepfakes.

Providers of AI systems designed to interact directly with individuals must build those systems so people can be informed when they are engaging with AI. Providers also must include machine-readable markings in AI-generated or manipulated content to support detection when material is shared or distributed through digital services.

Deployers must notify individuals when they are exposed to AI-generated or manipulated image, audio or video content constituting a deepfake, as well as AI-generated or manipulated text on matters of public interest that lacks human review or editorial control. Deployers using emotion-recognition or biometric-categorization systems also must provide notice in covered circumstances.

Organizations may be able to show compliance by voluntarily following the European Commission’s Code of Practice on Transparency of AI-generated content. The Commission also launched the AI Act Service Desk as an information resource. Most transparency provisions are effective as of August 2, 2026, while certain providers of systems placed on the market before that date have until December 2, 2026, to meet marking and detection obligations.