2 December 2026: the AI labelling deadline

Marking deadline for existing AI systems: 2 December 2026

Under Article 50(2) of the EU AI Act, AI systems that generate images, audio, video or text must mark their output in a machine-readable way so it can be detected as AI-generated. The obligation has applied since 2 August 2026. Generative systems already on the market before then have until 2 December 2026.

Checklist before the deadline

• ☐ Chatbots and agents disclose they are AI at the first interaction (live since 2 August)
• ☐ Generated images carry C2PA metadata, plus a watermark where available
• ☐ Generated audio and video are labelled in the container
• ☐ Generated text is labelled through response metadata or headers, and logged
• ☐ Labels survive your CDN and image optimisation (test the URL users actually receive)
• ☐ Every labelled output is logged, so you can prove it later

Read the full Article 50 developer guide, or join the Label50 waitlist.

Technical guidance, not legal advice.