EU publishes code of practice for labelling AI-generated content

The European Commission on Wednesday published the Code of Practice on marking and labelling artificial intelligence (AI)-generated content, setting out voluntary measures to help providers and deployers comply with transparency requirements under the EU AI Act.

The transparency obligations will become applicable on Aug. 2, requiring clear labelling of AI-generated or AI-manipulated content in specific cases, according to a statement.

Under the AI Act, deepfakes and AI-generated or AI-altered text published on matters of public interest must be clearly identified.

Users must also be informed when interacting with AI systems such as chatbots.

According to the EU Commission, the rules aim to help citizens recognize when content has been generated or manipulated by AI, reducing risks of deception and misinformation.

The Code of Practice consists of two sections addressing different stakeholders.

The section for providers outlines measures to ensure that AI-generated or AI-manipulated audio, images, videos, and text are marked in a machine-readable format and can be detected as artificially created or altered.

The section for deployers explains their obligations to clearly label deepfakes and AI-generated or AI-manipulated text published to inform the public on matters of public interest when no human review or editorial oversight has taken place.

The EU Commission said the transparency requirements complement broader AI Act provisions governing general-purpose AI models and high-risk AI systems, supporting the responsible development and use of artificial intelligence across the EU.

The code has been opened for signatures, and the commission invited providers and deployers of AI systems to join the initiative.

Once approved by the European Commission and the AI Board, signatories will be able to demonstrate compliance with the relevant AI Act transparency obligations.

The commission also announced that the code will be accompanied by guidelines clarifying the scope of the legal requirements and addressing issues not covered by the document.