The European Commission has published questions and answers on the transparency obligations under Article 50 of the AI Act. The page was last updated on 24 July 2026. Article 50 applies from 2 August 2026. This is an informative overview, not legal advice: check what applies to your venue.
What is required of chatbots
Systems that communicate directly with people must be designed so that the person is informed that they are talking to an AI. The notice must be clear, distinguishable and accessible, and must appear no later than the first conversation. There is an exception only where it is obvious from the context. The Commission clarifies that what is assessed is whether an ordinary, well-informed and attentive person would regard it as obvious, and the exception is interpreted narrowly.
The rule concerns direct communication with natural persons. Systems that work in the background or exchange data with each other are not covered.
What changes on 2 August 2026
On this date the application of Article 50 begins, and with it supervision. It is mainly exercised by the national market surveillance authorities. The Commission (the AI Office) has a limited role for certain systems, for example those built on general-purpose models. The Futurium page of 3 August 2026 also reports that the transparency rules now apply and that chatbots must say they are not human. Fines can reach €15 million or 3% of worldwide turnover, with proportionality taken into account for small businesses.
There is one mitigating point, and it does not concern chatbots. Only for the marking of AI-generated content (Article 50, paragraph 2) do systems placed on the market before 2 August 2026 have until 2 December 2026.
What this means for a venue with an assistant on its website
If the website of a hotel, guest house or restaurant has a chatbot, the guest must understand that they are writing to an AI and not to a person. In practice:
- Open the website as a guest and look at the first message. Is it clear that this is an AI?
- Ask the chatbot provider how it complies with Article 50 and whether there is a setting for the label.
- If the text is hidden, unclear or only in the corner of the screen, ask for a more visible notification.
- Do not give the chatbot a human name and photo that mislead the guest into thinking they are talking to a member of staff.
- Write down when you checked and what you found.
Labelling does not make a chatbot weaker. The guest knows what to expect and when to call the venue.
About ISKA Assistant
ISKA Assistant answers from the information approved by the venue, and when there is no data, it directs the guest to the venue’s phone. There is no live chat with a person, and it does not replace reception. Exactly how it should be labelled for you is a question to check against your own situation. More about its capabilities is on the product page.