Made by AI? EU tells firms to stick a label on it from Sunday - Yahoo

What the report says

Yahoo Entertainment, carrying an AFP report, says new European Union transparency requirements for artificial intelligence-generated content take effect from Sunday, with companies required from August 2 to identify when users are interacting with AI systems or viewing material made or altered by AI. The rules cover deepfakes and other synthetic text, images, audio and video, aiming to make it easier for people in Europe to understand whether online content is authentic or AI-produced.

Under the EU’s staged AI law, firms may use tools such as watermarks or technical markers to help detect AI-generated material, and non-compliance can bring significant fines. The report says professional uses are covered, while people using AI only for personal purposes are not. AI-generated text intended to inform the public on matters of general interest must also be labelled if it lacks human editorial oversight. Existing AI systems have until December 2 to adapt, and exceptions apply for artistic, creative, satirical and fictional work.

An EU official cited by AFP warned that generative AI can accelerate disinformation and make synthetic media harder to distinguish from real content. The measure is part of the bloc’s broader attempt to preserve public trust in what people read, watch and hear online, especially as deepfake technology becomes more accessible.

The report notes concerns from business and privacy professionals about implementation. Ashley Casovan of the International Association of Privacy Professionals said compliance may be difficult but manageable. Major platforms have already introduced labels: TikTok, Meta and Google are among companies developing or using AI-disclosure systems, while Google’s Karen Massin cautioned that overlapping labels and legal notices could confuse users.