Transparency in the Age of AI: What Article 50 of the AI Act Requires

Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 on AI marks a turning point in European technological governance. Article 50, included in Chapter IV of the regulation, establishes transparency obligations for AI systems that interact with people or generate content.

What obligations does the law impose? Which AI systems are subject to these requirements? In this article, we’ll explain all the details about the regulation, its relevance for businesses, and its demands.

Types of AI Systems Regulated by Article 50

The regulation aims to ensure maximum transparency for users. Specifically, the law requires that users be informed whenever they interact with an AI system or consume content generated by one. The goal is clear: to protect individuals from manipulation, deception, and misinformation.

Article 50 applies to the following types of AI systems:

• Those that interact directly with people, such as customer service chatbots, virtual assistants embedded in apps or websites, and agents that answer questions.
• Those that generate content, including text generators that write articles, image or video creators, and voice cloning tools.
• Those that recognize emotions or categorize biometric data, such as facial expression or voice tone analysis.
• Those that publish AI-generated informational content, such as news articles, reports, or other written materials produced by artificial intelligence.

The regulation also distinguishes between those who develop these systems (providers) and those who deploy them (users), establishing specific obligations depending on the role.

Exceptions are also considered: transparency is not required for systems legally authorized to detect crimes, nor for artistic, satirical, or editorially reviewed content.

What Technical Steps Must a Company Take to Comply with the AI Act?

Beyond the information that must be provided to users, companies are required to redesign certain technical aspects. It all starts with a thorough audit to identify the AI systems used within the organization. Constant updates to internal documentation and coordination between departments are essential. Finally, to keep everything under control, strong collaboration between technology, legal, compliance, and communication teams is crucial.

Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of what companies must do technically to comply with the law:

1. Automatic labeling of AI-generated content. Labels must be persistent and remain intact even when content is exported or shared. Effective, interoperable, robust, and reliable technical solutions must be used—such as watermarks, metadata, or HTML tags—to facilitate detection by third parties like search engines or social platforms.
2. User notifications in conversational interfaces. Chatbots or virtual assistants must clearly inform users that they are interacting with AI. This message must appear no later than the first interaction and cannot be omitted or removed without legal justification.
3. Formats must be machine-readable. Open standards like RDF, JSON-LD, or specific HTML tags should be used to ensure compatibility with verification tools and moderation systems.
4. Log review. Systems must record who generated the content, when, and with what parameters. Logs must be accessible and auditable.

How Should Companies Prepare for AI Act Compliance in 2026?

Starting August 2, 2026, compliance with Article 50 will be mandatory for all AI systems that interact with people or generate content. Companies must ensure these systems meet the transparency requirements set out in the regulation.

To do so, it’s essential to have clear internal protocols that guarantee regulatory compliance. This includes:

• Continuous monitoring of AI systems in use.
• Regular technical and legal reviews.
• Internal and external audits to assess compliance levels.
• Effective coordination between technology, legal, compliance, and communication teams.

It’s also important to note that these obligations do not replace other transparency regulations that may apply simultaneously, such as those related to data protection or digital rights.

The goal is to detect potential anomalies or emerging risks and respond immediately, minimizing legal, reputational, and operational impact.

It should also be remembered that companies that fail to comply are liable to financial penalties such as:

• Fines of up to €35 million or 7% of global annual turnover for using prohibited AI systems.
• Fines of up to €15 million or 3% of global annual turnover for providers, distributors, etc., who fail to meet general obligations.
• Fines of up to €7.5 million or 1% of global annual turnover for providing incorrect or misleading information to authorities.

If your company is exploring the use of AI or already has it integrated into its processes, we can help you turn this regulatory challenge into a competitive advantage. Contact us, we’re here to help.