Support widgets, sales assistants, booking bots, in app helpers: if it holds a conversation and a person might mistake it for a human agent, it falls under the interaction disclosure in Article 50(1). The rule is short, but the details of timing and clarity are where sites slip up.
What the notice has to convey
The disclosure must make one thing unmistakable: the person is interacting with an AI system, not a human. It does not have to be long. A clear line such as "You are chatting with an AI assistant" satisfies the substance, as long as it is presented well.
When it has to appear
At the latest at the first interaction. In plain terms, the visitor should know it is AI before or as they start typing, not several replies in. A notice tied to the moment the chat opens is the safe pattern.
The "unless it is obvious" exception
Article 50(1) does not apply where it is obvious to a reasonably observant person that they are dealing with AI. A bot clearly labelled as a robot avatar with a machine name might qualify. The trouble is that "obvious" is a judgement call, and a friendly human style agent with a person's name and photo is the opposite of obvious. When in doubt, show the notice.
Do it once, correctly
A robust chatbot disclosure has four properties:
- It appears at the first interaction, automatically.
- It is in the visitor's language.
- It is accessible to keyboard and screen reader users.
- It leaves a record that it was shown, in case anyone asks.
<script src="https://your-site/aidisclosure.js" data-key="aid_your_key" async></script>Common questions
My chatbot already has a small robot icon. Is that enough?
Maybe, but it is a judgement call. An icon is not the same as a clear statement that the visitor is dealing with AI. A plain notice removes the doubt.
Does the notice have to block the chat?
No. It has to be clear and timely, not obstructive. A visible line as the chat opens meets the timing requirement without blocking anything.
What about a bot that hands off to a human?
Disclose the AI while the AI is handling the conversation. Once a human takes over, that part is a human interaction.
Add the chatbot notice in 30 seconds
One snippet finds your chat tool and shows the required AI notice, localized and accessible, the moment the bot loads.
Start free