EU AI Act Article 50 Mandates Chatbot and Deepfake Disclosures from August 2026

The European Union's AI Act Article 50 transparency obligations will come into full force on 2 August 2026, imposing mandatory disclosure duties on providers and deployers of AI systems. Under the rules, users must be clearly informed when they are interacting with an AI — such as a chatbot — unless the artificial nature of the interaction is self-evident. AI-generated or manipulated content, including deepfakes touching on matters of public interest, must also be appropriately labeled. The regulation includes exemptions based on factors such as legal authority, human editorial oversight, and context, meaning organisations must carefully assess each use case rather than applying blanket disclosure policies. Businesses are advised to audit their AI systems, map content workflows, assign compliance responsibilities, and monitor ongoing European Commission guidance ahead of the deadline.