Guides · Article 50 · EU AI Act
What crypto and web3 teams should know about Article 50
Crypto and web3 projects ship AI in several forms: support and trading-help chatbots, AI-generated token or NFT artwork, and — in marketing — synthetic or manipulated promotional video. Different parts of Article 50 of the EU AI Act can touch these, and they fall on different parties. This guide gives a general overview for crypto and web3 teams. It is informational only, not legal advice, and does not determine whether the Act applies to your project.
Support and trading-help chatbots — Article 50(1), providers
Article 50(1) provides that providers must ensure AI systems intended to interact directly with natural persons 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 (Regulation (EU) 2024/1689). A support bot or a conversational trading assistant interacts directly with users, so this provider-side duty is in view. Article 50(5) points toward a clear notice at the latest at first interaction, meeting applicable accessibility requirements.
Generated art and promotional deepfakes — Article 50(2) providers, or 50(4) deployers
Synthetic media splits across two paragraphs, so the role matters. If your project is the provider of a system generating synthetic images or text — AI-generated NFT artwork, generated marketing copy — Article 50(2) points toward machine-readable marking of those outputs. Separately, where an AI system is deployed to generate or manipulate image, audio or video content constituting a deep fake — a synthetic 'endorsement' video, a manipulated founder clip — Article 50(4) puts a disclosure duty on the deployer to disclose the content has been artificially generated or manipulated. Which paragraph is in view depends on whether you are provider-side, deployer-side, or both, and whether the output is a 'deep fake' — fact-specific questions for counsel.
Article 50 is not the whole Act for crypto and web3
Article 50 covers only the transparency obligations; depending on your systems, other parts of the EU AI Act — including high-risk-system requirements — may also apply. Confirm your full obligations with qualified counsel.
Common questions
Does AI-generated NFT art need to be labeled under the EU AI Act?
Article 50(2) points the provider of the generating system toward machine-readable marking of synthetic outputs, subject to carve-outs. Deepfake-style promotional media may separately engage the deployer duty in Article 50(4). Whether either applies is fact-specific — confirm with qualified counsel. Our free scope check gives an informational starting point.
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.