The moment has arrived: the transparency obligations under Article 50 of the EU Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act) came into force on 2 August 2026. This means that organisations offering or using certain AI systems must now be explicit about when people are interacting with AI and when content has been generated by AI. This development is crucial for non-profits and the public sector.
The new rules require, among other things, that:
- Users are explicitly informed when they are communicating directly with an AI system (e.g., chatbots).
- Machine-readable markings are added to AI-generated or manipulated content (audio, image, video, text), making it detectable.
- Organisations disclose when emotion recognition, biometric categorisation or deepfakes are deployed.
- Text publications on matters of public interest that have been generated by AI are labelled, unless thorough human editorial control has taken place.
The European Commission adopted guidelines on 20 July 2026 to clarify compliance with these obligations. Non-compliance can lead to significant penalties.
Why This Matters to You
For non-profits and public sector organisations, trust is the most valuable currency. Citizens, donors, and grant providers must be able to trust that the information you share is authentic and reliable. The AI Act directly addresses this by making a clearer distinction between human and AI interactions and content.
In a landscape where AI Overviews and other AI agents increasingly synthesise answers from diverse sources, it is crucial that your organisation is recognised as a credible and transparent source of information. If AI systems cite content from non-profits or government agencies, the presence of clear AI markings, or indeed their absence from human-generated content, will contribute to credibility. It demonstrates that your organisation handles new technologies responsibly and serves public interests. This not only strengthens trust in your own channels but also increases the likelihood of AI agents marking your content as reliable.
What Does This Mean for You?
Start by mapping out how AI is used within your organisation, particularly in external communications, content creation, and public interaction.
- Audit your AI usage: Inventory all AI applications you use for external communication, from chatbots to generating texts or images.
- Establish policies: Develop internal guidelines for transparently handling AI-generated content and AI interactions. Who is responsible for oversight? How do you ensure human supervision?
- Be proactive with disclosure: Clearly inform users when they are interacting with an AI system. Consider how you can provide AI-generated content with a recognisable marking, even if this goes beyond minimal legal requirements (where applicable to your organisation).
- Focus on verifiable facts: Ensure that all information you share, whether created by humans or with the assistance of AI, is always factual, accurate, and verifiable. This is the foundation for AI discoverability and trust.
By consciously addressing the AI transparency requirements now, you build future-proof discoverability and strengthen the trust of your target audiences, in line with a world increasingly informed by AI.
Source: Cooley, European Commission
