The Commission launches a dedicated consultation on transparency rules for AI systems

The European Commission has opened a consultation on the draft guidelines for transparency obligations under the Artificial Intelligence Act, applicable from August 2, 2026. In brief The European Commission is seeking contributions until June 3, 2026, on the draft guidelines regarding transparency in the use of AI.

From August 2, 2026, individuals in the EU must be informed when interacting with an AI system.

AI providers will need to label content that is generated or artificially manipulated in formats that can be automatically read.

Implementers will need to inform individuals exposed to deepfakes, AI-generated publications on public interest topics, emotion recognition, or biometric categorization.

A code of good practices, expected in June 2026, will complement the guidelines and can be used voluntarily to demonstrate compliance. The European Commission has published the draft guidelines regarding the transparency obligations provided by the Artificial Intelligence Act and has opened a consultation with stakeholders before the document's adoption. The obligations will start to apply from August 2, 2026. They aim to ensure that individuals in the European Union are informed when interacting with artificial intelligence systems or when exposed to certain forms of AI-generated or manipulated content. According to the Artificial Intelligence Act, AI system providers will need to inform individuals when they interact with an AI system. They will also need to add labels that can be automatically read to allow for the detection of content generated or manipulated with the help of artificial intelligence. The obligations do not only target AI system providers. Implementers, meaning actors who use or deploy such systems in specific contexts, will need to inform individuals when they are exposed to deepfakes, AI-generated publications on public interest topics, emotion recognition systems, or biometric categorization systems. The draft guidelines take into account contributions received in previous consultations and aim to clarify the scope of the obligations. The document is intended to help providers and implementers of AI systems understand how transparency requirements should be applied. The Commission invites providers and developers of AI systems, companies, public authorities, the academic environment, research institutions, and citizens to submit comments until June 3, 2026. The guidelines will be complemented by a code of good practices developed by independent experts. The final form of the code is expected in June 2026 and will be voluntary. The Commission presents it as a tool that can help the targeted actors demonstrate compliance with the obligations. The EU Act on Artificial Intelligence introduces a regulatory framework for the development and use of AI systems in the European Union. The transparency obligations are part of this framework and aim to reduce the risk that individuals interact with AI systems or synthetic content without being informed. The application of these rules is relevant for digital platforms, AI system developers, companies that use chatbots or content generation tools, public authorities, and other actors that integrate AI into services, communication, or decision-making processes. The open consultation by the Commission does not modify the Artificial Intelligence Act but prepares the guidelines for the application of the obligations that come into force in August 2026. The stakes are that the rules are clear enough for the market and effective enough to protect individuals exposed to AI systems or artificially generated content.