Guides · Article 50 · EU AI Act
AI-generated news text and the EU AI Act
Article 50(4) of the EU AI Act is best known for deepfakes, but it has a second sub-paragraph aimed at text: AI-generated or manipulated text published to inform the public on matters of public interest. If you publish news or similar articles drafted by AI, this is the limb to understand. This guide explains it from the regulation text. Informational only — not legal advice.
What the regulation text says about AI-generated text
The text provides that deployers of an AI system that generates or manipulates text which is published with the purpose of informing the public on matters of public interest must disclose that the text has been artificially generated or manipulated (Article 50(4), Regulation (EU) 2024/1689). Note the conditions built into that sentence: it addresses deployers, it concerns text that is published, and the publication must have the purpose of informing the public on matters of public interest. Whether a given article meets those conditions is fact-specific.
The human editorial review carve-out
The same sub-paragraph carves the obligation back: it does not apply where the use is authorised by law to detect, prevent, investigate or prosecute criminal offences, or where the AI-generated content has undergone a process of human review or editorial control and a natural or legal person holds editorial responsibility for the publication of the content.
That second carve-out matters to newsrooms and publishers: as written, it turns on both a process of human review or editorial control and a person holding editorial responsibility. Whether your workflow satisfies it is a fact-specific question — if you intend to rely on it, document how your review process works and who holds editorial responsibility, and confirm the analysis with qualified counsel.
What publishers commonly document
- Which published text is AI-generated or AI-manipulated, and whether it is published to inform the public on matters of public interest.
- The disclosure wording and where it appears, if the obligation applies.
- How the disclosure meets the timing and accessibility points in Article 50(5).
- If relying on the editorial-review carve-out: the review process and who holds editorial responsibility.
- Counsel's review of the mapping before relying on it.
Common questions
Do AI-drafted articles reviewed by a human editor need a disclosure?
The regulation text says the obligation does not apply where the AI-generated content has undergone a process of human review or editorial control and a natural or legal person holds editorial responsibility for the publication. Whether your workflow meets that description is fact-specific — document it and confirm with qualified counsel.
See what may apply to your business
Answer seven quick questions for an automated, informational indication of which Article 50 obligations appear likely to apply — free, and not legal advice.