The dates, and what each one changes.

Article 50 of the EU AI Act is already in force. What follows are the milestones that shift who is watching, and what they can do about what they find. This is a reading of published texts, not legal advice.

• 1 AUGUST 2024HISTORY

  The AI Act enters into force

  The regulation is law from this date, with obligations phasing in over the following three years. Article 50 covers transparency: telling people when they are looking at AI-generated or manipulated content.

• 2 FEBRUARY 2025HISTORY

  Prohibited practices apply

  The first substantive deadline, unrelated to Article 50 but relevant as precedent: authorities demonstrated they were willing to act on the phase-in dates as written.

• 2 AUGUST 2025HISTORY

  Governance and penalty structures take effect

  Member states designate authorities and the penalty framework becomes applicable. The maximum fines for transparency breaches are set at this point, though enforcement machinery is not yet in place.

• 2 AUGUST 2026IN FORCE

  Article 50 transparency obligations apply

  From this date, providers and deployers must disclose AI-generated or manipulated content in a machine-readable form. This is the obligation Provena exists to satisfy.

  • ✓Machine-readable marking on generated image, audio and video
  • ✓Disclosure where content could mislead about real events or people
  • ✓Exemptions for artistic and satirical work, documented rather than assumed
• 2 DECEMBER 2026NEXT

  National enforcement structures operational

  Market surveillance authorities must be designated, resourced and able to act. In practice this is when requests for evidence start arriving with a legal basis behind them.

  • ✓Authorities can request provenance records for specific published assets
  • ✓Coverage per channel becomes the first question asked
  • ⋯Penalty application still discretionary in most member states
• 2 FEBRUARY 2027FULL

  Full application of the obligations

  The remaining transitional allowances end. Systems placed on the market before the phase-in dates lose their grace period, and the transparency requirements apply uniformly.

  • ✓No further transitional relief for existing systems
  • ✓Retroactive evidence is not possible; the record is what it is
• 2027 ONWARDSOUTLOOK

  Standards harmonisation and codes of practice

  Harmonised standards for provenance marking are expected to consolidate around C2PA. Codes of practice will define what a reasonable technical effort looks like — which is where a coverage figure with named exceptions becomes the defensible answer.