About KI-Kennzeichnung
Last updated: 21 July 2026
A free tool that lets you label AI content in a legally sound way, without extra effort.
KI-Kennzeichnung is a free web tool that lets you label AI generated images, videos, audio and text content the way the EU AI Act requires, starting 2 August 2026 You place the official EU icon, provided by the European Commission, on your file, optionally add a visible note such as "AI generated," and also store the label in the metadata in a machine readable format (IPTC/XMP, optionally C2PA and an invisible watermark). On request, we document every label in a proof register with an SHA-256 checksum and a timestamp, which you can export as CSV.
Who is behind it
KI-Kennzeichnung is an offering from Scalemaker, founded by Johannes Hoser, Fabian Giessler. We are a team from marketing technology and e-commerce. We built the tool because we had the same question as many D2C brands, agencies and marketing teams: how do you actually label AI content without touching every file manually in an image editor? Existing solutions ran purely in the browser and without a solid proof trail. So we built a tool with a real backend, a verifiable register and an interface (API).
What we base this on
We do not invent rules, we implement the official requirements. The basis is the transparency obligations under Article 50 of the EU AI Regulation (AI Act) as well as the related guidelines and the icon set from the European Commission. We link all relevant sources openly, so you can verify every statement yourself.
What we explicitly are not
We are not a law firm and we do not provide legal advice. Our content explains the legal situation to the best of our knowledge and with source references, but it does not replace an individual legal review of your specific case. If you are legally uncertain, please consult a lawyer.
Transparency about ourselves
The tool is free. When we mention funding, future paid features or connections to other Scalemaker products, we disclose that openly. When we are not sure about something, we say so instead of smoothing it over.
Why you can trust this information
We cover a legal topic. That is why we disclose where our information comes from, how current it is and how we work. We rely on primary EU sources and the regulation text itself, not on hearsay. You can verify every key statement here.
- Regulation text, Article 50 (transparency obligations)
- EU timeline for implementing the AI Act
- European Commission guidelines on the transparency obligations
- Official EU icon set for labeling AI generated content
The key facts we rely on
- Deadline: The transparency and labeling obligations under Article 50 of the EU AI Act apply from 2 August 2026 (24 months after entry into force on 1 August 2024). The occasionally circulating "8 August" is incorrect.
- Who is affected? Providers must mark synthetic output in a machine readable way (paragraph 2), deployers must visibly disclose deepfakes as well as AI generated text on matters of public interest (paragraph 4). For D2C, e-commerce and marketing teams, the deployer obligation usually applies.
- Official icons are optional. The European Commission provides an optional icon set. The labeling obligation itself is mandatory, using these specific icons is voluntary.
- Possible penalties: up to 15 million euros or 3% of global annual turnover.
- An ongoing reservation (Digital Omnibus, as of May 2026, provisional): Machine readable marking under paragraph 2 is set to be deferred, for systems placed on the market before 2 August 2026, until 2 December 2026 The core deadline of 2 August 2026 remains in place, the visible deployer labeling (paragraph 4) and the chatbot disclosure are not deferred.
Our methodology
- Primary source before secondary source. We cite the regulation text and official EU sources first, then interpretation from third parties.
- Fact and assessment kept separate. What is law is stated separately from what we classify as a practical recommendation.
- When in doubt, we leave it out. Where we cannot answer a legal question reliably, we do not claim anything, we say so openly.
Legal notice
No legal advice. The content on ki-kennzeichnen.de and the results of the tool serve for general information and orientation regarding the transparency and labeling obligations of the EU AI Regulation (AI Act). This content does not constitute legal advice and does not replace an individual review of your specific case by a qualified lawyer.
Responsible for the content under section 18(2) of the German Interstate Media Treaty (MStV): Johannes Hoser. You can find the full provider information in the Legal notice.