Guides · Article 50 · EU AI Act
EU AI Act Article 50, explained
Article 50 of the EU AI Act (Regulation (EU) 2024/1689) sets out transparency obligations for certain AI systems. In plain terms, it is about telling people when they are dealing with AI — whether that is a chatbot, AI-generated content, a deepfake, or an emotion-recognition system.
This guide summarizes what Article 50 says, based on the regulation text itself. It is informational only, not legal advice, and does not determine whether the Act applies to you — verify your situation with qualified counsel.
What Article 50 covers
Article 50 is organized around four situations, each in its own paragraph. Two fall on providers of AI systems, and two fall on deployers who use them:
- Article 50(1) — Providers must ensure that AI systems intended to interact directly with people are designed so those people are informed they are interacting with an AI system, unless that is obvious to a reasonably well-informed, observant and circumspect person given the context.
- Article 50(2) — Providers of AI systems that generate synthetic audio, image, video or text must ensure the outputs are marked in a machine-readable format and detectable as artificially generated or manipulated.
- Article 50(3) — Deployers of an emotion-recognition or biometric-categorisation system must inform the people exposed to it, and process personal data in line with EU data-protection law.
- Article 50(4) — Deployers of a system that generates or manipulates image, audio or video content constituting a deep fake must disclose that the content is artificially generated or manipulated.
When and how the information must be given
Article 50(5) adds a timing and form rule: the information referred to in paragraphs 1 to 4 must be provided to the people concerned in a clear and distinguishable manner, at the latest at the time of the first interaction or exposure, and must conform to the applicable accessibility requirements.
Each paragraph also contains its own carve-outs — for example a law-enforcement exception, and for content marking an exception where the AI performs an assistive function for standard editing or does not substantially alter the input. Whether a carve-out applies to your system is fact-specific.
Provider or deployer — which are you?
Article 50 splits its duties between providers (roughly, those who develop or place an AI system on the market) and deployers (those who use one). The chatbot-disclosure and content-marking duties fall on providers; the emotion-recognition and deepfake duties fall on deployers. Many businesses are one, the other, or both depending on the system, so it is worth mapping each AI system you run to the right role before deciding what applies.
Common questions
Does Article 50 apply to my chatbot?
Article 50(1) addresses AI systems intended to interact directly with people. Whether it applies to your specific chatbot depends on the facts — how it is used, who uses it, and whether the AI nature is already obvious. Our free scope check gives an automated, informational indication; it is not legal advice.
Is Article 50 the same as being 'compliant with the EU AI Act'?
No. Article 50 is one part of the Act (its transparency obligations). Other parts may apply to your systems, and Article 50 itself has conditions and carve-outs. Treat this as a starting point and confirm your full obligations 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.