Eurocommerce is formally requesting that the European Union exclude standard AI-generated advertisements from upcoming transparency mandates. The retail association, representing major brands like Amazon, H&M, Inditex, and Ikea, argues that commercial imagery not intended to mislead should not be classified as deepfakes under the new AI Act.
Director General Christel Delberghe outlined this position in a letter to EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen. She contends that requiring disclosure for routine product visualization, such as generating living room settings or enhancing presentation quality, undermines the regulation's core purpose. Widespread labeling of benign commercial content risks diluting the significance of warnings meant for genuine deceptive media.
The industry highlights significant operational efficiencies driven by artificial intelligence. German retailer Zalando reports a 90 percent reduction in content production costs through AI adoption. Meanwhile, fast-fashion leaders are utilizing synthetic models to streamline marketing workflows. Eurocommerce warns that applying strict deepfake definitions to these tools could force retailers to label a vast majority of digital assets, reducing the effectiveness of consumer protections when actual misinformation arises.