EU Introduces Mandatory Labelling for AI-Generated Media
The EU is introducing mandatory labelling for AI-generated material that appears authentic. As of 2 August 2024, both AI developers and publishers must label synthetic media and deepfakes.

What happened?
Effective 2 August 2024, binding transparency requirements for synthetic and AI-generated material come into force across the EU. Providers of generative AI must embed machine-readable watermarks and labels into images, audio, video, and text. Simultaneously, those publishing deepfakes or AI-generated text must clearly label the material to indicate that it has been created or altered by a machine.
Key facts
| Startdatum för regler | 2 augusti 2024 |
|---|---|
| Omfattning | Bild, ljud, video och text |
| Regelverk | EU AI Act |
Why it matters
The aim is to protect the public against disinformation, fraud, and deceptive media by ensuring that synthetic content appearing genuine can be identified. By shifting responsibility to both system developers and publishers, the traceability of the digital ecosystem is intended to be strengthened.
Who is affected?
The regulations affect developers of generative AI models as well as companies and organisations publishing AI-created material within the EU. Regular users and publishers on digital platforms are also affected, as AI-generated content that could be mistaken for authentic material must be clearly labelled.
Impact on the EU
The rules apply directly in all EU member states, including Sweden. They encompass both European developers and foreign entities providing or using AI systems within the EU market.
What else you should know
The implementation is taking place in stages under the EU AI Act to provide companies with time to adapt their technology and processes. The requirements are expected to set a new global standard for the traceability and labelling of AI-generated material.
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