• 2 min read
WhatsApp is testing labels for AI-generated media
WhatsApp is testing AI-generated media labels for channel posts, with the feature apparently responding to new EU transparency requirements.
Image: WABetaInfo
WhatsApp is preparing a way for channel administrators to label AI-generated media, apparently in response to new EU transparency requirements for AI-generated content.
The feature was spotted by WABetaInfo in the latest WhatsApp Android beta. A related prompt reportedly tells users: “Channel admins in your country are required to label channel updates that use AI content.”
How WhatsApp’s AI labels work
The labeling process is expected to resemble WhatsApp’s existing workflow for sponsored channel updates. After posting an update containing AI-generated media, an administrator would be able to tap and hold the message to open its context menu, then select “Add AI content label.”
That action would add a visible label to the message bubble, allowing channel followers to identify the content as AI-generated. Once applied, the label may not be removable by the administrator.
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The current splash screen appears to define AI content broadly as images, videos, or other media created or edited with AI tools. WABetaInfo notes that this suggests WhatsApp may require labels for AI-generated or AI-edited media, but not necessarily for AI-generated text.
Availability remains unclear
The feature is still under development, and WhatsApp has not announced a release date. Because the prompt refers to requirements that apply “in your country,” it is also unclear whether the labeling tool will roll out worldwide or only in regions where the law requires it.
9to5Mac reports that an iOS version and broader availability are likely to follow because the feature appears tied to country-specific regulatory requirements, but neither has been confirmed.
The move would give WhatsApp a user-facing mechanism for compliance while keeping the decision to label content with channel administrators. It also arrives as the company tests other AI features, including summaries across unread WhatsApp chats. For now, the open questions are the rollout regions, the final definition of content that must be labeled, and whether labels will be mandatory in every supported market.
Culture Editor
Maya explores gaming, streaming, and the internet as a place where people actually live. From deep-dives into creator economies to the anthropology of digital communities, she tracks platform drama and cultural shifts so you don't have to. She believes the best tech stories are fundamentally about human behavior.
via 9to5Mac
