OpenAI Introduces Text Watermarking to Comply with EU AI Act
OpenAI has unveiled its strategy for watermarking AI-generated text to meet requirements under the EU AI Act. The update introduces machine-readable traceability for content created via the company's API.

What happened?
OpenAI has announced its strategy for watermarking AI-generated text to comply with transparency requirements set out in the EU AI Act. The company is introducing a new feature that renders text created through its API and models, such as ChatGPT and Codex, machine-readable and identifiable. The objective is to establish traceability, enabling other systems to detect whether text content was generated by OpenAI's models.
Key facts
| Regelverk | EU AI Act transparensregler |
|---|---|
| Berörda produkter | OpenAI API, ChatGPT, Codex |
| Målgrupp | API-kunder globalt |
”The EU AI Act requires generative AI providers to make generated text identifiable in a machine-readable way.”
Why it matters
Provenance requirements are a central component of the EU AI Act's transparency rules, which came into effect in August. By introducing text watermarking, AI firms like OpenAI are attempting to curb misinformation and increase transparency regarding AI-generated material. At the same time, OpenAI acknowledges that text watermarking is a nascent technology with limitations, as minor edits can alter or remove the watermark.
Who is affected?
The change primarily affects developers and companies using OpenAI's API to build services and applications globally. End users of ChatGPT and Codex are also affected, as generated text will now carry invisible or machine-readable markers. Companies operating within the EU are required to adapt their tools to meet the standards set by the EU AI Act.
Impact on the EU
The EU AI Act requires providers of generative AI to make AI-generated text identifiable in a machine-readable format. Consequently, OpenAI is rolling out the tagging for its API platform globally to meet these requirements, though it notes that the technology still has significant reliability constraints and does not guarantee the identity of the content's creator or owner.
What else you should know
The technology behind text watermarking differs from image and audio marking because text is more easily manipulated through minor rephrasing or translation. OpenAI emphasizes that the solution is not a tool for verifying facts or copyright, but merely a signal for machine-readable traceability.
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