Updated
Updated · Reuters · Jun 19
Eurocommerce Seeks EU AI Act Exemption for AI Ads Before August 2 Rules
Updated
Updated · Reuters · Jun 19

Eurocommerce Seeks EU AI Act Exemption for AI Ads Before August 2 Rules

3 articles · Updated · Reuters · Jun 19

Summary

  • A letter sent Thursday asks EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen to exclude AI-generated retail ads from the AI Act's transparency rules when they are not intended to mislead consumers.
  • August 2 marks the start of the EU requirement to label AI-generated or AI-modified image, video or audio content that qualifies as a deep fake, a definition the retail group says should not cover routine marketing visuals.
  • Eurocommerce said applying the rule to common ad uses—such as generating living-room images for a sofa or enhancing product shots—would force labels on a very large share of AI-assisted content and weaken the disclosure's value.
  • Retailers are already using the technology heavily: Zalando says AI cut content-production costs by 90%, while H&M and Zara have used AI-generated model clones.

Insights

Will the EU prioritize retail innovation over consumer transparency by exempting AI ads from labeling?
As AI-generated ads become the norm, must the EU now legally define what is 'real'?