| 09.07.2026 | 02 min |
From August 2nd, 2026, a new rule applies across the EU: AI-generated content must be labeled in certain cases. This is based on Article 50 of the EU AI Act. In line with this, the European Commission published a Code of Practice in early June, showing how this labeling can work in practice.
“Transparency builds trust.”
— Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, Source: European Commission
The goal is more transparency: people should be able to recognize when they’re talking to an AI or looking at AI-generated content.
The good news: for most marketing texts and social media posts, nothing changes. The requirement mainly applies to topics of public interest such as politics, health, or the economy – but not to classic advertising. The following table shows typical cases from everyday content work:e economy – but not to classic advertising. The following table shows typical cases from everyday content work:
Situation | Labeling required? |
|---|---|
AI image shows a real person/a real place in a deceptively realistic way | ✅ Yes |
AI text on politics, health, or economics, not editorially reviewed | ✅ Yes |
AI voice that sounds like a real human | ✅ Yes |
Marketing text that you’ve reviewed and revised for content | 🟡 Usually not |
Blog article or social media post without public interest relevance | 🟡 Usually not |
Clearly drawn or illustrated image | 🟡 Usually not |
Content published before August 2nd, 2026 | ❌ No, unless republished |
Table 1: Typical content situations and whether a labeling requirement applies under Article 50.
The labeling requirement starting in August 2026 is no reason for concern, but it’s a good opportunity to take a conscious look at your own use of AI. For most marketing content, nothing changes. In the end, the key question always is: could someone mistake the content for purely human-made or genuine? Anyone who keeps that in mind is on the safe side.
Jule Langheim studied Media Management at the Technical University of Würzburg. At eology, she is part of the marketing team, working both in front of and behind the camera, where she is responsible for content planning and creation. She is also in charge of promoting the agency across social media channels and running eology's webinars.
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