Article 50
Transparency obligations for certain AI systems
Limited riskCritical for merchantsApplicable from August 2, 2026
Applies to: Provider · Deployer
Article 50 sets transparency duties for AI systems that interact with people or generate synthetic content. It is the provision that matters most for online shops publishing AI-generated or AI-altered product photos, and it applies from 2 August 2026.
Key points
- Inform persons that they are interacting with an AI system (for example chatbots)
- Mark AI-generated or manipulated content at first exposure — this includes product photos
- Inform persons subject to emotion recognition or biometric categorisation
- Providers must mark synthetic output in a machine-readable way where technically feasible
- Limited exceptions for evidently artistic, creative, or satirical work
- Disclosure must be clear, distinguishable, and given at the latest at first exposure
Related terms
This page is a plain-language summary for orientation only. It is not legal advice — the binding text is Regulation (EU) 2024/1689.