The European Commission has published a voluntary Code of Practice on Transparency of AI-Generated Content, giving AI providers and deployers a concrete path to compliance with the AI Act’s labeling requirements—and a clear reason to sign up.
The code, released June 10, 2026, covers two broad categories of obligations. Section 1 targets providers of generative AI systems, requiring them to mark outputs—audio, image, video, and text—in machine-readable formats and ensure their detection as artificially generated or manipulated. The technical solutions must be effective, interoperable, and reliable “as far as technically feasible,” factoring in content type, implementation costs, and the state of the art. Section 2 targets deployers, requiring them to label deepfakes (audio, image, or video that falsely appears authentic) and disclose AI-generated or manipulated text publications on matters of public interest.
The Commission also released a set of standard icons that deployers can use to label AI-generated content. Nicholas Diakopoulos, a professor at Northwestern University, shared them on LinkedIn:
The code is currently under adequacy assessment by the Commission and the AI Board. Once it clears that review, signatories can rely on its measures to demonstrate compliance with Article 50 of the AI Act, reducing administrative burden and gaining legal predictability across all EU member states. Non-signatories will have to demonstrate adequate compliance individually, assessed case-by-case by national market surveillance authorities.
Signatories also gain access to Signatory Taskforces: working groups set up to share implementation practices and advance marking and detection techniques across the value chain.
The code is described as a “consistent, practical and proportionate” implementation framework, not a replacement for the AI Act or the Commission’s forthcoming guidelines on Article 50’s scope.
The code was developed over three drafting rounds between September 2025 and June 2026, led by an independent chair and vice-chair. Participants included AI system providers, detection developers, industry associations, civil society organizations, academic experts, and organizations with expertise in transparency and very large online platforms. International and European observers also contributed without voting rights. Two dedicated working groups handled the providers and deployers tracks separately.
Key milestones included a first drafting round starting November 5, 2025, a second round in January 2026, a third round in March 2026, and a closing plenary on June 10, 2026—the same day the code was published.
