What does the EU AI Act require for AI-generated voices?
Two things, both in Article 50, and both apply from 2 August 2026.
The first is for whoever runs the system that produces the audio. The output has to be marked in a machine-readable way so it can be detected as AI-generated. Tools that were already on the market before August get until 2 December 2026 for this part, under a provisional agreement reached in May.
The second is for whoever publishes the result. If a piece of audio sounds like a real person and could be taken as genuine, a deepfake in the Act's language, you have to say that it was artificially generated. The disclosure has to be clear and come no later than the first time people hear it. For audio, the suggested way is to say so out loud.
Creative work gets a softer rule. When the voice is part of something obviously artistic, fictional or satirical, such as a game, an animated film or a comedy sketch, you can disclose it in a way that doesn't get in the way of the work. A line in the credits is usually enough.
The Commission has also published a voluntary Code of Practice on marking and labelling, and guidelines on how to read Article 50. Read the latest versions, because that is what regulators will measure you against.
If you buy voices, three questions cover most of it. Is every file marked? Does the marking say the audio is AI-generated? Can the supplier show whose voice it is and that the person agreed? And if you publish anything that could be mistaken for a real person talking, decide early how you will tell your audience.
On Voxifyer, every AI-generated file carries our inaudible HDIAVOX watermark and says in its metadata that it was made with AI. The mark is registered to the talent, the client and the licence, and anyone can check a file. Behind each file is the talent's own consent. That matters, because a correctly labelled deepfake still needs the person's permission.
The AI Act as of 29 October 2026. General information, not legal advice.
Sources: The EU AI Act's transparency rules: a practical guide to Article 50 · Baker McKenzie: new EU guidance on AI transparency from 2 August 2026