Article 50 of the EU AI Act says people must be told when they are talking to an AI, unless it is obvious. It also says the information must be clear and distinguishable. It does not say which language the disclosure has to be in. So the question every EU-facing site has to answer for itself is simple: will the person in front of the chat window actually understand it?
Key point: Article 50 doesn't name a language for AI disclosures, but it does require the information to be clear and distinguishable. A disclosure the visitor can't read is hard to describe as clear, so match the language of the page and the chat.
For the wider picture on chatbot disclosures, see the Article 50 chatbot disclosure guide.
What the text says
Article 50(1) covers AI systems that interact directly with people, such as chatbots, voice agents and AI avatars. The provider must design the system so people are informed they are interacting with AI, unless that is obvious to a reasonably well-informed, observant and circumspect person.
Article 50(5) covers how the information is given. It must be provided in a clear and distinguishable manner, at the latest at the time of the first interaction or exposure, and it must conform to applicable accessibility requirements. You can read the full text of Article 50.
What the text leaves open
Neither paragraph names a language. That is a gap, not a free pass. A disclosure that a visitor cannot read is hard to describe as clear, and "clear" is the word the Article uses. Each country's market surveillance authority enforces the Act, and guidance may say more over time, so check what the authority in your target market publishes.
The mismatch we see most
A site is translated into German or French, but the chat widget still opens with an English line, or the disclosure sits in a footer in English while the page and the conversation are in German. The page language says one thing and the disclosure says another. A scan can see that mismatch. A translation tool will not warn you about it.
What a disclosure can look like
These are examples of plain wording, not approved text. Have a native speaker check anything you publish.
- German: "Sie chatten mit einem KI-Assistenten."
- French: "Vous discutez avec un assistant IA."
Notice what they have in common. They say it is an AI, they are written in the language of the chat, and they appear where the conversation starts. A line like "Your virtual assistant" or "Powered by AI" is not the same thing. Those tell the visitor about a feature, not that they are talking to a machine.
How to check your own site
- Open every language version of your site that has a chat widget, voice agent or avatar.
- Start a conversation as a new visitor and look at what appears first.
- Check the language of the disclosure matches the language of the page and the chat.
- Check it appears before or at the first message, not after several turns and not only in a footer.
- Check it on a phone as well as a desktop.
What our scan does and does not check
The Article50.io scan loads your public page and recognises disclosures addressed to visitors in English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Dutch and Portuguese, including in chat, voice and avatar widgets. When it finds one, it compares the language of the matched text with the page's language setting where both are clear, and says "couldn't determine" otherwise.
It does not read labels on AI-generated content or images in languages other than English. It cannot see anything behind a login or shown only after a click or consent banner. And recognising wording is not the same as confirming a disclosure is sufficient. Every report lists what was checked and what could not be checked.
You can run the free scan on your site at article50.io, and the FAQ explains what it covers. A clean result is not a compliance clearance, and this post is not legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
Does Article 50 require the disclosure in the local language?
The text does not name a language. It requires the information to be clear and distinguishable, which in practice means the visitor must be able to understand it.
Is an English disclosure enough on a German website?
The Act does not say. If the chat and page are in German and the disclosure is only in English, it may not be clear to the visitor, so check your market's authority guidance.
Which languages does the Article50.io scan recognise?
English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Dutch and Portuguese for disclosures addressed to visitors. Content and image labels are recognised in English only.
This article is general information, not legal advice.