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AI-generated ad disclosure in 2026: what actually changed

A lot of "AI ads" coverage this year has been vague about what's actually mandatory versus what's just a platform being cautious. Here's the short version, without the hedging.

Google now shows how an ad was made

My Ad Center added a "How this ad was made" section that flags whether a creative was generated or edited with AI, and it's rolled out globally, not region-gated. Separately, since July 2026 Google lets advertisers add their own visible AI-labels directly into image and video creative, aimed squarely at meeting the disclosure laws below.

The EU's rules went from guidance to law

Article 50 of the EU AI Act became binding on August 2, 2026, requiring AI-generated content and deepfakes to be disclosed — advertising included. This is the one with the most teeth, since it applies across the whole bloc rather than platform-by-platform.

California and New York moved first in the US

California's SB 942 introduced metadata and labeling requirements and also took effect August 2, 2026. New York's synthetic-performer law, signed in December 2025, kicked in that June. A handful of other states are pushing similar bills specifically for AI-generated political ads.

IAB is trying to make it consistent

The Interactive Advertising Bureau published its first AI Transparency and Disclosure Framework in January 2026, then a version 2 in August with practical guidance for advertisers, agencies, and platforms on when and how to disclose AI involvement — an attempt to head off a patchwork of incompatible platform and state rules.

Why it's happening now

Survey data cited alongside these rules puts more than half of consumers wanting brands to disclose fully AI-generated creative, and roughly three-quarters of Gen Z and Millennial respondents saying clear disclosure either increases their likelihood to buy or doesn't hurt it at all. Regulators had the political cover; platforms mostly just followed.

Where this connects to Ad Repository

None of this changes what we do — we archive real ad creative and copy as it's actually shown, disclosure labels and all. If AI-generated creative starts carrying visible labels the way these rules intend, you'll see that show up in ads collected here same as anything else.

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Sources: IAB, MediaPost, Google Ads Policy Help.

Related: how to find competitor ads across platforms.