Do I have to label AI-written product descriptions?

Not as a general rule. Ordinary product descriptions are not public-interest text under Art. 50(4). Alt-text is separately excluded from Art. 50(2) by point 68 of the Commission's final Guidelines.

Does the machine-readable marking rule apply to my shop?

It depends on your role, system, and output. Art. 50(2) binds providers of AI systems generating in-scope synthetic content, not only foundation-model vendors. The final Guidelines expressly exclude short outputs such as alt-text, image captions, UI labels, and other data labels.

What about AI-generated product photography?

It may be in scope. Art. 50(4) covers photorealistic AI imagery that could pass as authentic. Upscaling, colour correction, and relighting that do not substantially alter the input remain assistive editing.

What are the actual fines?

Art. 99(4) sets a maximum of €15M or 3% of worldwide annual turnover for the listed infringements. For undertakings, including SMEs and start-ups, Art. 99(6) applies the lower applicable percentage or fixed amount.

EU AI Act — Art. 50 applies from 2 August 2026

Does your shop meet the AI Act's transparency rules?

One free check of what a visitor's browser can actually see: a chat widget with no AI disclosure, Content Credentials on your images, and whether any AI notice you already have is readable by a screen reader.

Nothing about this check is stored. No account, no email, no tracking of the site you enter.

Why this one is different

The European Accessibility Act lets microenterprises out — fewer than 10 staff and up to €2M turnover. Art. 50 of the AI Act has no size exemption at all. It only caps the fine for smaller businesses, at the lower of €15M or 3% of turnover.
Art. 50(5) says transparency information must be given at the first interaction and must meet the applicable accessibility requirements. An AI notice a screen reader cannot announce fails the AI Act and the Accessibility Act at the same moment. We are the only checker that looks at this.
Most of what is being sold right now overstates the rule. We check what the article actually requires — and tell you plainly where it does not apply to you.

What Art. 50 does and does not require

Read this before you buy anything from anyone — including us.

Common claims about AI Act Art. 50 and what the article actually says.
Claim	What the article says
A chatbot must disclose that it is AI.	Correct (Art. 50(1)). The disclosure must be perceivable in the interaction itself — text buried in terms and conditions, or a vague label like "assistant", does not satisfy it.
All AI-generated content must be marked.	Too broad. Art. 50(2) applies to providers of AI systems that generate in-scope synthetic content; provider status is not limited to the company that made the underlying model. For content that is in scope, machine-readable marking and an available detection mechanism are both required — either one alone is insufficient.
AI-generated product images must be disclosed.	Arguably in scope. Art. 50(4) covers photorealistic AI imagery that could pass as authentic, and commercial product photography gets no artistic exemption. Upscaling, colour correction, and relighting are assistive editing and stay outside it.
AI-written product descriptions and alt text must be disclosed.	Not as a general rule. The Commission's final Guidelines of 20 July 2026, point 68, expressly exclude short outputs such as image captions, alt-text, UI labels, and other data labels from Art. 50(2). Ordinary product descriptions are not text published to inform the public on matters of public interest under Art. 50(4).
Only personal use is exempt.	Purely personal, non-professional activity is excluded from the AI Act's deployer obligations. That is not a commercial or SME exemption: professional use still depends on the actor's role, the system, and the output type.
Fines reach €15M or 3% of turnover.	Correct (Art. 99(4)). For SMEs and start-ups the cap is the lower of the two figures, not the higher (Art. 99(6)).

See our own AI transparency page — Effective 2026-08-03. Art. 50 transparency obligations apply from 2026-08-02.

Common questions

Do I have to label AI-written product descriptions?: Not as a general rule. Ordinary product descriptions are not public-interest text under Art. 50(4). Alt-text is separately excluded from Art. 50(2) by point 68 of the Commission's final Guidelines.
Does the machine-readable marking rule apply to my shop?: It depends on your role, system, and output. Art. 50(2) binds providers of AI systems generating in-scope synthetic content, not only foundation-model vendors. The final Guidelines expressly exclude short outputs such as alt-text, image captions, UI labels, and other data labels.
What about AI-generated product photography?: It may be in scope. Art. 50(4) covers photorealistic AI imagery that could pass as authentic. Upscaling, colour correction, and relighting that do not substantially alter the input remain assistive editing.
What are the actual fines?: Art. 99(4) sets a maximum of €15M or 3% of worldwide annual turnover for the listed infringements. For undertakings, including SMEs and start-ups, Art. 99(6) applies the lower applicable percentage or fixed amount.

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