As AI continues to reshape the digital landscape, governments worldwide are introducing new regulations to ensure transparency and curb the spread of misinformation. Spain and China are among the latest countries to take decisive action, each implementing stringent AI labelling requirements to identify and regulate AI-generated content.
Spain has moved swiftly to impose new rules on AI-generated content, aligning with the European Union’s landmark AI Act. The Spanish government has approved a bill that classifies the failure to label AI-generated content as a serious offence, carrying potential fines of up to €35 million ($38.2 million) or 7% of global annual turnover. The legislation seeks to prevent the spread of misleading deepfakes and ensure AI transparency in digital communications.
According to Digital Transformation Minister Óscar López, AI is a powerful tool that can either enhance our lives or be misused to spread misinformation and manipulate democracy. Under the new bill, companies using AI-generated content will be required to provide clear and explicit labelling, preventing deceptive practices that could influence public perception.
The law also prohibits the use of AI for subliminal messaging, particularly in targeting vulnerable groups. It bans AI-based biometric profiling that categorises individuals based on their personal traits, including behaviour, for decision-making purposes such as assessing risk or determining access to services. However, authorities will still be permitted to use real-time biometric surveillance in public spaces for national security purposes.
To enforce these regulations, Spain has created a dedicated AI supervisory agency, AESIA, which will oversee compliance except in cases involving data privacy, financial regulation, crime, and elections, these will fall under existing regulatory bodies.
Meanwhile, China has taken a different but equally stringent approach to AI labelling. The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), along with other regulatory bodies, has introduced new rules that will take effect on September 1, 2025, requiring both visible and invisible labels on all AI-generated content shared online. These regulations aim to counter the misuse of generative AI technologies and the spread of false information.
According to the CAC, AI-generated content, including text, images, audio, video, and virtual scenes, must be clearly labelled to prevent public confusion and deception. The guidelines require that explicit labels be placed directly on content that could mislead viewers, while metadata-based hidden labels must be embedded within the files, ensuring long-term traceability.
Service providers distributing AI-generated content are also required to verify that metadata contains implicit AI labels and that users declare whether their content is AI-generated. Platforms must ensure proper labelling before content is published online.
The urgency of these measures is underscored by recent incidents in China where AI-generated false information has caused public alarm. For instance, a widely circulated report falsely claimed that one in every 20 individuals born in the 1980s had passed away, sparking mass concern before being debunked. Additionally, deepfake technology has been used to clone celebrity voices and faces, leading to fraudulent activities and calls for stronger regulation.
Spain and China’s moves to enforce AI content labelling signal a growing global recognition of the need for AI governance and ethical content creation. The European Union’s AI Act has already set a precedent for strict transparency requirements, while in China, influential figures, including tech executives and actors, are actively pushing for AI legislation to protect both individuals and industries from deceptive AI use.
As AI-generated content becomes more sophisticated, ensuring transparency and accountability is critical to maintaining trust in digital media. With Spain and China taking the lead, it remains to be seen how other nations will follow suit in regulating AI to balance innovation with ethical considerations.