Guides · Article 50 · EU AI Act
What legal-tech teams should know about Article 50
Legal-tech products ship AI that talks to users and drafts on their behalf — research assistants, intake chatbots, clause generators, and contract-drafting copilots. Two parts of Article 50 of the EU AI Act tend to come into view: paragraph 50(1) on informing people they are interacting with AI, and paragraph 50(2) on marking synthetic content the tool generates. This guide gives a general overview for legal-tech teams. It is informational only, not legal advice, and does not determine whether the Act applies to your product.
Client-facing legal assistants — Article 50(1)
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 client-intake bot on a law firm's site, or a research assistant that answers legal questions conversationally, interacts directly with people — so this provider-side duty is in view. Because users may over-trust an assistant that sounds authoritative on legal matters, whether the AI nature is 'obvious' is worth documenting rather than assuming. Article 50(5) adds the mechanics: clear and distinguishable, at the latest at the first interaction, and meeting applicable accessibility requirements.
Drafting and clause generation — Article 50(2)
Where a tool generates synthetic text — draft contracts, memos, or clause libraries — Article 50(2) can come into view. That paragraph asks providers of AI systems generating synthetic audio, image, video or text to ensure outputs are marked in a machine-readable format and detectable as artificially generated or manipulated, subject to carve-outs including where the AI performs an assistive function for standard editing or does not substantially alter the input. Whether a drafting copilot's output falls inside the paragraph, and whether a carve-out applies, are fact-specific questions for counsel.
Article 50 is not the whole Act for legal tech
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. This matters in legal tech, where tools touching the administration of justice can draw scrutiny well beyond the transparency slice this guide addresses.
Common questions
Does an AI legal research assistant need an AI disclosure?
Article 50(1) points toward informing people they are interacting with an AI system, unless that is already obvious in context. Whether it applies to your assistant is fact-specific, and if the tool drafts text, Article 50(2) marking may also be in view. 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.