Does the EU AI Act Apply to My Chatbot?
If people can talk to your chatbot, then yes, the EU AI Act almost certainly covers it. Article 50 says that anyone interacting with an AI system has to be told they are dealing with AI and not a human, unless that is already obvious from the context. It does not matter whether you built the bot yourself or you use a tool like Intercom, Tidio or a custom GPT. It does not matter how small your business is either. If a visitor could mistake your bot for a person, you need a clear notice. This applies from 2 August 2026.
When would a chatbot be exempt?
There is a narrow exception for cases where it is obvious to a reasonably informed person that they are interacting with AI. In practice you should not rely on that. A small “AI assistant” label costs you nothing and removes any doubt, so the safe move is to disclose on every bot.
What does a compliant disclosure look like?
Keep it short and visible. A line in the chat window opener such as “You are chatting with an AI assistant. A human can take over if you ask.” does the job. Put it where the user sees it before they start typing, not buried in a privacy policy.
Not sure where you stand?
Run our free two-minute check for a plain verdict, or read the full EU AI Act guide for small businesses.
This guide is educational and is not legal advice.
