How to Label AI-Generated Images (Visible Badge + Metadata)
Updated 21 May 2026
Labelling an AI-generated image well means doing two things: showing a disclosure people can see, and embedding data that machines can read. Here is how each part works.
1. The visible badge
A visible badge is a small label placed where viewers will see it — near the image, in the caption, or as an overlay. The wording should be clear: stating that the image was created or substantially modified using AI.
2. Embedded metadata
Embedded metadata is written inside the image file. The widely used standard is the IPTC DigitalSourceType property, set to the value for trained algorithmic media. This is stored in the XMP packet of a JPEG or PNG. Because it travels inside the file, platforms and search engines can detect it automatically even if the visible caption is lost.
3. Why both matter
A visible badge alone can be cropped out. Metadata alone is invisible to ordinary viewers. Used together they satisfy the dual expectation in the EU AI Act — disclosure that is clear to humans and detectable by machines.
Do it automatically
Our AI content disclosure generator creates the visible badge and writes the metadata directly into your JPEG or PNG — entirely in your browser, with no upload. Read more about the Article 50 rules.