Rule 26 of 33

EU AI Act - Article 50 transparency

Do I have to tell people when they are talking to an AI chatbot?

Under Article 50 of the EU AI Act, yes, if EU users are involved. People must be told they are interacting with an AI system, and synthetic image, audio, video or text must be marked in a machine-readable way. Open-source deployment is not exempt.

What the rule requires

In force since 2 Aug 2026. AI content must be disclosed.

Who it catches

Anyone deploying AI that interacts with EU users or outputs synthetic media. Up to €15M or 3% of worldwide turnover. Open-source is not exempt.

What this looks like in practice. Your website chatbot talks to EU users without saying it's AI, or you post AI-generated images with no label. Since Aug 2, 2026 that's a breach - up to €15M or 3% of worldwide turnover.

How to check whether you comply

The checkDo chatbots and AI-generated image/video/text aimed at EU users carry the required machine-readable disclosure? High-risk duties follow on 2 Dec 2027.

Read it yourself

We would rather you checked us than took our word for it. This links to the law as published, not to our summary of it.

Primary source Regulation (EU) 2024/1689, Art. 50 ↗ Real case Art. 99: to €15M or 3% of turnover, whichever is higher; an SME pays the lower of the two ↗

Questions people ask

Do I have to tell people when they are talking to an AI chatbot?

Under Article 50 of the EU AI Act, yes, if EU users are involved. People must be told they are interacting with an AI system, and synthetic image, audio, video or text must be marked in a machine-readable way. Open-source deployment is not exempt.

Who does EU AI Act - Article 50 transparency apply to?

Anyone deploying AI that interacts with EU users or outputs synthetic media. Up to €15M or 3% of worldwide turnover. Open-source is not exempt.

How do I check whether we comply with EU AI Act - Article 50 transparency?

Do chatbots and AI-generated image/video/text aimed at EU users carry the required machine-readable disclosure? High-risk duties follow on 2 Dec 2027. You can also run our free website check, which tests 25 technical items in about twenty seconds, or book a review if this rule needs a documented answer.

Other rules that catch the same businesses

Rule 27CBCA register of significant control Rule 28Ontario OHSA - washroom records + harassment Rule 29Ontario electronic-monitoring + disconnecting policies Rule 30CASL (Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation) All of themThe full 33-rule table, searchable

Find out which of the 33 apply to you

The fine risk check asks a few questions about your business and tells you which rules catch you, with the deadlines. Nothing you tick leaves your browser.

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This page summarises a legal obligation in plain language so you can work out whether it applies to you. It is not legal advice, and the primary source linked above governs. Last reviewed 2026-10-03.