AI Chatbots and the Law: Do You Have to Tell People It’s an AI?

Maybe you have a chat on your website. It answers questions while you sleep, books appointments for you, and catches enquiries you would otherwise have had to handle yourself. Or maybe you’re thinking about adding one. Convenient, inexpensive, and customers get help straight away.

Then you hear something about the AI Act, the EU’s new rulebook for artificial intelligence. And you wonder: does this apply to me?

Short answer: yes, probably. But it’s easier to deal with than it sounds.

What the new law actually says

From 2 August 2026, a new rule applies across the whole EU. If a visitor on your website is talking to an AI, you have to make it clear that it’s an AI and not a person.

That’s the whole thing. For an ordinary website chat, the fix is usually simple. In most cases it’s enough to add a clear line of text right in the chat, so the visitor knows what they’re talking to.

Picture a customer typing in the chat at ten in the evening. She thinks she’s talking to you, or to someone at the company. In reality it’s an AI answering. The new rule says the customer has the right to know that from the start. Not buried in the small print, but visible the moment the conversation begins.

Why this applies to you too

Here’s the part many people miss. The law applies even if you didn’t build the chat yourself.

Did you buy a ready-made chat solution and paste it onto your site? Are you using a tool someone else developed? It makes no difference. If you’ve bought a ready-made AI chat, you still need to make sure the visitor is clearly told it’s an AI.

The vendor who built the tool may have their own obligations under the AI Act. But you shouldn’t put an AI chat on your website without checking how the information is shown to the customer. “I just bought it” isn’t something you can lean on.

And the date is close. 2 August 2026 isn’t far off, and it’s fixed. Unlike some other parts of the AI Act that are still being adjusted, this particular rule applies from that date with no question marks.

What “disclosing” actually means in practice

So how do you meet the requirement? It’s less of a hassle than you’d think.

Add a clear line at the start of every chat. Something like “You’re chatting with an AI assistant.” It should show up the moment the conversation starts, and it should be easy to understand. One sentence is enough.

The important thing is that the information is visible in the chat itself. It can’t be buried in your terms of service or in a cookie banner nobody reads. The customer should see it where they actually are, in the middle of the conversation.

So what isn’t enough? A button that just says “Chat” won’t do. Giving the bot a human name like “Anna” without explaining that Anna is an AI won’t do either. In fact, the more your bot sounds and behaves like a person, the more important the clarity becomes. The whole point is that the customer shouldn’t be misled into thinking they’re talking to a human.

Do you have a chat that calls or speaks with a voice? Then the same applies, just audibly. It should be said at the start of the conversation.

Here’s what to do:

1. Check whether your chat uses AI or automated replies.
2. Add clear text at the start of the chat, for example “You’re chatting with an AI assistant.”
3. Show the text immediately, at the latest when the first message is sent.
4. Avoid human names without explanation, like “Anna,” if it’s really an AI answering.
5. Save a screenshot of how the information is shown, so you can demonstrate what you’ve done if anyone asks.

What this is NOT

There’s a lot of talk about the AI Act right now, and some of it creates more confusion than clarity. So let’s clear up what this rule is not about.

It’s about chats that talk to people. It’s not about having to label every image or piece of text that AI helped create.

There are also separate rules on AI-generated content, such as deepfakes and certain text published to inform the public on matters of public interest. Those rules work differently and can depend on the type of content, who publishes it, and whether there’s human review. This article is mainly about AI chats that talk directly to visitors.

It’s also worth being honest about one thing: parts of the AI Act are still not fully settled. Some dates and details are being negotiated at EU level right now. In Sweden there are proposals for how supervision will be organised — with Post- och telestyrelsen (the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority) as the lead market-surveillance authority — but the exact practical application and guidance is still being developed. The chat rule itself, though, the one you need to care about, applies from 2 August 2026. That part is settled.

What happens if you ignore it?

There are penalties tied to the transparency requirements, and on paper they’re large. In theory they can reach up to €15 million or 3% of a company’s total worldwide annual turnover. For small and medium-sized businesses, the lower of the amount and the percentage applies.

But keep it in proportion. A sole trader with a chat on their site is not what Brussels is chasing. The realistic point is a different one: the fix is almost free and takes a few minutes. The risk, however small, simply isn’t worth carrying when the solution is this easy.

And there’s a better reason than fines. Being open about the fact that a customer is talking to an AI builds trust. People don’t like being misled. A clear little line saying “this is an AI assistant” makes you look honest, not like someone trying to hide something.

Frequently asked questions

Not sure your chat meets the requirements?

An AI chat is one of the smartest ways to catch customers who reach out after hours. But it needs to be set up properly, both to work well and to comply with the new rules.

If you already have a chat and aren’t sure it meets the requirements, or you’re thinking about adding one and want to get it right from the start, get in touch with us at Monprez. We’ll look at your setup and make sure it’s honest with your customers and ready for 2 August 2026. Read more about how we work with AI integrations.