AI Labelling Obligation

The AI labelling obligation describes the requirement to make the use of AI and AI-generated content visible. It stems from the transparency rules of the EU AI Act (Article 50): customers must be able to recognise when they are writing to a chatbot, and AI-generated images, videos or audio must be marked as such. The relevant obligations apply from 2 August 2026.

What is the AI labelling obligation?

The AI labelling obligation means the legal requirement to disclose the use of artificial intelligence and to mark AI-generated content. It is not a law in its own right but an umbrella term for the transparency obligations from the EU AI Act. The aim is clarity: people should know whether they are talking to a machine and whether a piece of content comes from an AI.

Note: this article is for orientation, not legal advice. For your specific case, please consult a lawyer.

What has to be labelled?

The obligations sit in Article 50 of the EU AI Act and touch two areas:

• Interaction with AI (Art. 50(1)). Anyone deploying a chatbot must inform the customer. That is the AI disclosure in customer service.
• AI-generated media (Art. 50(4)). Deepfakes and other synthetic media must be marked as AI-generated. AI text on matters of public interest must be marked when it appears without human editorial control.

How do you label correctly?

The exact form is still being detailed. On 10 June 2026, the European Commission presented a voluntary code of conduct on labelling AI-generated content, with detailed guidelines to follow. In practice, a simple, early-visible note works well: a sentence at the start of a chat conversation, a remark under an AI-generated image. The important thing is that the note is clear and not hidden.

What does this mean for businesses?

As soon as you use AI in customer contact, the labelling obligation affects you. That sounds like effort, but it is well manageable when your platform brings the disclosure with it out of the box. A clear note costs one line of text and removes the customer's uncertainty about whether a human or a machine is on the other end.

AI labelling with SendSeven

SendSeven brings WhatsApp, Telegram, SMS, Instagram, Messenger, email, live chat and browser push into one inbox. The AI assistant has a configurable AI disclosure: you store an adaptable notice text including a mention of handover to a member of the team. That puts the chatbot labelling under Article 50 in place without extra effort. It is set up through the AI bots. GDPR-compliant, Made in Germany, Meta Business Partner. Try it free for 14 days, no credit card.