AI disclosure law
United States — California: AI-content disclosure requirements
United States — California requires AI-content disclosure under California AI Transparency Act (SB 942, amended by AB 853), in force from 2 August 2026.
What it requires
Covered providers must embed latent (machine-readable) provenance disclosure in AI-generated image/video/audio, offer users a clear user-visible label option, and make available a free public AI-detection tool.
Who must comply
Covered providers of publicly accessible generative AI systems with more than 1,000,000 monthly users in California.
What content is covered
AI-generated image, video, and audio (not text).
Provisions
- Latent (machine-readable) disclosure
- User-visible disclosure option
- Free public AI-detection tool
Status and notes
Operative for covered providers from 2 August 2026, deliberately aligned with the EU AI Act. Large online platforms and GenAI hosting platforms phase in 1 January 2027; capture-device manufacturers 1 January 2028. California also has SB 243 (companion chatbots, 1 Jan 2026), AB 2013 (training-data transparency, 1 Jan 2026), and SB 1001 (bot disclosure, in force since 2019).
How to comply with AIDisclose
Publish an ai-disclosure.json manifest declaring the AI systems your site uses, add the on-site snippet to render the required notices and labels in 28 languages, and keep timestamped, exportable evidence that they were shown. Start with a free check of your site.
This page is a general reference and does not provide legal advice. Confirm your obligations with qualified counsel. Official source ↗
Checked 5 July 2026.