EU Releases Guidelines for Complying with AI Transparency Requirements

The European Commission has released guidelines to help companies comply with the transparency requirements of the EU's AI Act, which takes effect on August 2, 2026. The AI Act aims to reduce deception and manipulation by ensuring that people know when they are interacting with artificial intelligence (AI) or consuming AI-generated content.

Under the AI Act, AI providers must design systems to inform users when they are directly interacting with AI, and add machine-readable marks to detect AI-generated or manipulated content. Deployers will also have to inform users about exposure to deepfakes, AI-generated content on matters of public interest without human review, and emotion recognition or biometric categorization systems.

The guidelines clarify which providers and deployers must comply with the transparency obligations for interactive AI systems and the marking and labeling of AI-generated content. They also explain how compliance can be demonstrated, including by adhering to a 'Code of Practice' that provides legal certainty and a simple way to demonstrate compliance with the AI Act.

The AI Act was passed in March 2024 and aims to introduce a regulatory framework for AI applications based on their perceived risk. Lower-risk applications will face minimal regulations, while high-risk systems will be subject to more stringent requirements, including documentation of processes and human oversight.