Commission Publishes Code of Practice on Marking and Labelling AI-generated Content

Commission Publishes Code of Practice on Marking and Labelling AI-generated Content

On 10 June 2026, the European Commission published a Code of Practice on marking and labelling AI-generated Content. The Code is voluntary and sets out practical steps to help providers and deployers of generative artificial intelligence (AI) systems meet the AI Act transparency obligations that will apply from 2 August 2026 (see previous news articles on the AI Act available here and here).

From that date, the AI Act will require clear labelling in key cases. Deepfakes and AI-generated or AI-manipulated text published on matters of public interest must be clearly labelled. Users must also be informed when they are interacting with an interactive AI system, such as a chatbot. These transparency requirements help people recognise when content has been generated or altered by AI, reducing the risk of deception and manipulation.

The Code of Practice has two sections:

• Providers (organisations developing AI systems and marketing them under their own brand, e.g. OpenAI for ChatGPT or Google for Gemini): This section focuses on obligations for providers of generative AI systems. It sets out how to ensure that AI-generated or AI-manipulated audio, images, video or text are marked in a machine-readable way and can be detected as artificially generated or manipulated.
• Deployers (organisation using these AI tools under their own authority for business, professional or public-interest purposes): This section details obligations for deployers of generative AI systems. It explains how they must clearly label deepfakes and AI-generated or AI-manipulated text published to inform the public on matters of public interest when there has been no human review or editorial control.

The Code is now open for signatures. The Commission is inviting all providers and deployers to sign. Providers and deployers who sign will be able to demonstrate compliance with the relevant AI Act obligations that start to apply on 2 August 2026.

The Code will be complemented by Commission guidelines. The guidelines will clarify the scope of the legal obligations and address aspects not covered by the Code.  They will be practical and will support AI providers and deployers in meeting the transparency requirements.