Regulations EU
EU AI Act
People must be told when they are dealing with certain AI systems, and AI-generated content must be marked so it can be detected.
Applies to: Providers and deployers of AI systems, including general-purpose models and systems the Act treats as high-risk.
Status: In force
Verified Oct 17, 2026.
Deadlines
- — Dec 2, 2026. Art. 50(2) AI-output marking for generative systems already on the market before Aug 2, 2026
- — Dec 2, 2026. Bans on AI that generates non-consensual intimate images or child sexual abuse material (Art. 5(1)(ba) and (bb))
- — Dec 2, 2027. High-risk obligations for Annex III systems (Reg. (EU) 2026/1744)
- — Aug 2, 2028. High-risk obligations for Annex I product-embedded systems (Reg. (EU) 2026/1744)
The European Commission’s Article 50 FAQ says the transparency rules apply from 2 August 2026. Regulation (EU) 2026/1744, the Digital Omnibus on AI, adds a narrow grace period: providers of systems that generate synthetic audio, image, video or text and that were placed on the market before 2 August 2026 must comply with the Article 50(2) marking and detection duty by 2 December 2026. The grace period covers that one duty and those systems only.
The same regulation adds two prohibitions to Article 5 of the AI Act, points (ba) and (bb). Point (ba) covers AI systems that generate or manipulate realistic intimate or sexually explicit images, video or audio of an identifiable person without that person’s explicit consent. Point (bb) covers AI systems that generate or manipulate child sexual abuse material as defined in Directive 2011/93/EU. Under the amended Article 113, both apply from 2 December 2026. For providers, the regulation limits the ban to systems built for that purpose or that can foreseeably produce such material without adequate safeguards, so read the text itself before applying it.
Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 was published in the Official Journal on 24 July 2026, and the Commission says it entered into force on 27 July 2026. It sets the high-risk obligations to apply from 2 December 2027 for systems listed in Annex III and from 2 August 2028 for systems embedded in products listed in Annex I.
Dates on this page were checked against the Official Journal text and the Commission pages on October 17, 2026. This is general information, not legal advice.