Concern 884 · Working draft · editorial review in progress
Right to know one is talking to AI
Knowing that one is interacting with AI helps people judge a conversation's limits and decide what to share or rely on.
Understanding the concern
A human-sounding voice or friendly message can make a service seem staffed by a person. Without clear disclosure, someone may assume there is human understanding, professional judgment or confidentiality that the system does not provide. A notice should appear when it can inform the interaction, not only in distant terms.
AI disclosure requirements vary by jurisdiction and context. The EU AI Act includes transparency rules for covered interactions, with conditions and exceptions. Think of knowing whether a phone call reaches a receptionist or an automated service. Disclosure is a beginning: people still need accurate information about what the service can do and how to reach help when necessary.
An example
A customer shares a sensitive problem with a chat service before learning that the replies were generated automatically.
Illustrative unless identified as a documented case.
Words in plain English
- AI
- Software that learns patterns from examples or uses rules to perform tasks such as recognizing images or generating text. It can make mistakes and does not understand every situation as a person would.
- EU
- The European Union, a group of European countries with shared institutions and some shared laws.
Evidence and its limits
Article 50 has a specific legal scope and application timeline. It does not create an identical global duty for every AI interaction or make a disclosed system reliable.
European Commission · July 2026 · Official regulatory guidance
Guidelines on transparency obligations for providers and deployers of AI systems ↗ (opens in a new tab)Explains Article 50 duties applying from August 2026 to specified systems and uses; not a worldwide disclosure rule.
Broader frameworks and background
These resources provide context. They do not establish every claim in this concern.
- EU AI Act — high-level summary (opens in a new tab)
regulation
- Council of Europe AI Convention (opens in a new tab)
regulation
- International humanitarian law (IHL)
framework
The body of law that governs the conduct of armed conflict and the protection of people who are not fighting, which applies to AI used in or for conflict.
A question to discuss
Would a person recognize the AI's role before making an important choice or sharing sensitive information?
Keep track of different views, what needs checking, and any next step in your own discussion notes.
Open discussion notes →Principles for the conversation
Before you finish · reflect together
Virtues and principles to consider
Virtues are qualities we practice in how we treat people and make choices. They are not scores for judging someone. Use these ideas to explore what a thoughtful response could look like.
Justice
Justice means fair treatment, fair procedures, and attention to who receives benefits and burdens. It asks whether people with less power can be heard and seek repair.
Look at outcomes across different groups and individual cases. Provide a usable way to challenge decisions and correct harm. Equal wording in a policy does not guarantee equal treatment in practice.
Ask together: Who benefits, who bears the cost, and who can challenge the decision?
Accountability
Accountability means being answerable for decisions and taking responsibility for repair. It requires more than saying that the software made the choice.
Name the person or team responsible, keep useful records, and give them authority to correct problems. Make the route to a complaint clear to the people affected.
Ask together: Who will answer for the outcome and help put things right?
Dignity
Dignity means recognizing each person's worth regardless of usefulness, status, or a system's score. People deserve respect and a voice in matters that affect them.
Explain important decisions, avoid humiliating treatment, and keep room for a person's story. Do not treat a prediction as a complete account of who someone is.
Ask together: Does this use treat each person as someone whose experience matters?
Editorial ratings
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