AI labels to be compulsory on authentic-looking content under EU rules

Companies must ensure people know when they are interacting with artificially generated images, audio and text designed to look real

www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jul/31/ai-labels-to-be-compulsory-on-authentic-looking-content-under-eu-rules

I do wonder if they plan to draw a line somewhere in “how AI” the image needs to be. Like, if it’s a raw photo, that’s fine. If it’s enhanced by filters or something, probably not AI fair to say.

But what about the, like, magic eraser and infilling? If I use a tool to erase a bunch of people from a bridge and draw new parts of bridge that weren’t in the original photo… is that AI?

If I use AI to pull a mask and cut someone out from the background, and then put them overtop of a stock background, that uses AI to do work I could have done by hand. Probably fine. But what if I use AI to paint a new background that didn’t exist before this photo. Is that AI?

If I take a picture of me in a real place, doing a real thing, and then use AI infill to paint a different face onto my face so it’s not me anymore, but the rest of the photo including my body is real, is it AI because that person doesn’t exist?