Will you have to label texts “Created with AI assistance” when the EU AI Act takes effect? Not if you have a verifiable “human in the loop”.
By Jim Peterson, Senior Copywriter & Transcreator at steelecht
Are you ready for the EU AI Act? Starting from August 2026, AI-generated texts will need to be labelled in the EU. It’s hard to predict how much that label will affect consumer behavior, but we’re fairly confident that the companies we work with will want to avoid it.
As a small agency, we’ve learned to see AI as a useful tool that works best with human oversight. It needs to be used with caution though, a topic we explored in a recent post on data sovereignty and generative AI, where EU legislation obliges us to consider the choice of tool.
Legislation now also extends to how our customers share AI-generated content in the EU. In this article, we’ll explore what the EU AI Act means for copywriting, how to ensure compliance and why working with a human expert not only helps to ensure an authentic tonality, but also means you won’t have to use labels like “Text generated with AI support” or, worse, “AI-generated text”.
The labeling requirement: what you need to know
As of June 2026, the provisions of the EU AI Act are not yet finalized. However, according to Pandectes and Universität Oldenburg, it seems clear that AI-generated texts will soon need to be labeled.
The questions companies will have to consider are:
- Do you want to avoid the label?
- How can you avoid labeling texts while ensuring compliance?
As copywriters, we obviously believe in the value of human-generated content. Still, we do not reject the use of AI, as it can often provide valuable support. A label like “AI-generated content”, however, could adversely impact sales, so brands will probably want to avoid it.
According to performance marketing firm We Venture, it’s enough to have AI-generated content reviewed and approved by a human before publication. But is it?
The website artificialintelligenceact.eu states that “checks must be substantive and not limited to superficial matters or cursory approval.” That adjective “substantive” means that significant changes must be made to ensure there is no need for labeling. Operated by US-based NGO Future of Life Institute, the website further states that the labeling requirement applies to “AI-generated text published on matters of public interest.” Does that include marketing copy? Until clearer guidance is provided by the EU, we should probably assume it does.
Why AI needs a “human in the loop”
Compliance and labeling issues aside, AI-generated texts have always required human oversight, if only to check for AI hallucinations, plagiarism, invented “facts”, as well as proper tonality and alignment with branding.
However, let’s pretend, for the sake of argument, that you have fully relied on AI to create a text from scratch. Perhaps you had limited time and just needed to get your idea on paper fast.
How do you ensure that you can publish this text without labelling it “Generated with AI” or similar?
The EU AI Act requires it to have been “subject to human review and editorial responsibility”.
“Editorial responsibility” means that a human is ultimately accountable for accuracy, tone and compliance. This is why substantive edits (not just proofreading) are advisable. But is it enough just to edit the text?
Ensuring content compliance
Based on the obligations of Article 50 of the EU AI Act, our recommendation is to create a paper trail. The ideal way to do that would be to engage an external copywriter, e.g. at a text agency like steelecht. This provides you with an invoice and usually also some kind of correspondence, like emails, with different versions attached.
By engaging a copywriter, you have:
- Proof of human creation or review
- Proof that a human has assumed editorial responsibility
With the invoice, correspondence and different versions all on record, you have solid proof of substantial human involvement in case anyone questions your content. Therefore, a label would not be needed.
Your paper trail checklist
Keep a record of: 1. All correspondence with your service provider 2. Quote (if applicable) 3. Entire content-creation process: original, final & draft versions 4. AI tools used (if applicable) 5. Entire editing process & versions of the content 6. Invoice
At steelecht, we always keep track of these things, while observing data protection guidelines. As a result, even if you can’t be bothered to keep a paper trail, we have your back.
Rather than seeing the EU AI Act as a hurdle, view it as a chance to differentiate your brand. By prioritizing human expertise, you can publish content that’s not only compliant, but really stands out from the standardized “AI slop” that’s starting to dominate.
Need a human in your content loop? Contact us!
Feature image courtesy of Scott Graham on Unsplash
