In detail
- Letter to EU tech commissioner Henna Virkkunen obtained by Reuters.
- Members include Amazon, H&M, Inditex, Ikea; Zalando says 90% of its marketing content is now AI‑generated.
- Argument: product images (e.g. an AI‑generated living room showing a sofa) should not count as 'deepfakes' and therefore need not be labeled.
- AI Act takes effect August 2 and requires labeling of AI‑generated or AI‑altered content that qualifies as a 'deepfake'.
Why it matters
If common ad assets fall under the law's 'deepfake' label, the transparency obligations could sweep up vast volumes of marketing content, diluting the rule's consumer‑protection intent and creating operational and legal burdens for retailers and platforms.
For you Inventory your marketing: flag AI‑generated assets, keep creation records, and update contracts and ad‑platform rules to ensure you can meet or argue about forthcoming labeling requirements.