Question · Art. 50(1)

Does My Chatbot Need an AI Disclosure Under EU Law?

If your site uses an AI system that interacts directly with visitors — like an AI chatbot — you're subject to the EU's chatbot AI disclosure requirement under Article 50(1) of the EU AI Act. In most cases, that means a clear notice telling visitors they're chatting with an AI.

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The short answer

Yes, if it's AI

Article 50(1) applies to AI systems intended to interact directly with people. An LLM-powered chat widget or AI support agent qualifies.

Unless it's obvious

No disclosure is needed only where it's obvious to a reasonably well-informed, observant and circumspect person that they're dealing with an AI.

Before the chat starts

The notice must be clear and distinguishable, and given at the latest at the time of the first interaction.

What Article 50(1) says

Article 50(1) of the EU AI Act requires providers to ensure people are informed when interacting with an AI system, unless this is obvious from context. It has been enforceable since August 2, 2026, and breaches fall under fines of up to €15 million or 3% of worldwide annual turnover (see what happens if you ignore Article 50).

The obligation is written for the provider — whoever develops the chatbot — but the undisclosed AI is on your site. The simplest way to close the gap is to add the disclosure yourself; it's one line of HTML.

Don't lean on the "obvious" exception without a clear reason. Many AI chat widgets use human names and avatars, and the same widget often switches between a bot and a human agent.

The fix

A generic disclosure you can adapt. Put it in or directly above the chat window, so it's visible before the first message — more variants are in the chatbot disclaimer template. The full report gives wording matched to what the scan finds on your site.

Chat window header

<div class="chat-ai-banner" role="note">
  AI-powered chat · Replies are written by an AI system and may contain mistakes.
</div>

For the full breakdown — when the rule applies, placement tips and edge cases — read Article 50(1) chatbot disclosure, explained. If your chatbot is a visual avatar, see do AI avatars require disclosure?

Frequently Asked Questions

Does my business need Article 50 disclosures?

If your site uses an AI system that interacts directly with visitors — like an AI chatbot — you're subject to the EU's chatbot AI disclosure requirement, and Article 50 disclosure obligations likely apply. Publishing AI-generated or manipulated audio, image, video, or text content triggers separate obligations too. If you're asking "does my chatbot need an AI disclosure," a scan is the fastest way to check your specific site.

Is a disclosure in my terms of service or privacy policy enough?

Unlikely. Article 50 requires the information to be given in a clear and distinguishable manner, at the latest at the time of the first interaction. Visitors need to see it where they're chatting, not on a separate page.

What if my chatbot is a rules-based bot, not AI?

Article 50(1) covers AI systems. A purely scripted decision-tree bot may fall outside it — but many support widgets now have AI features switched on by default, so check what your vendor's widget actually does before relying on that.

Does my chatbot need a disclosure if my company is outside the EU?

Possibly. The AI Act can apply to providers and deployers outside the EU where the AI system's output is used in the EU. See our page on whether Article 50 applies outside the EU for the details and the open questions.

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Article50.io is an automated Article 50 transparency assessment platform that scans websites for potential EU AI Act transparency obligations and provides remediation guidance, implementation instructions, and compliance-ready disclosure language.

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