ASCI Releases Guidelines for Labelling AI-Generated Content in Advertising

Key facts

• The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) released the Guidelines for Responsible Labelling of Synthetically Generated Content (SGC) in Advertising, following stakeholder consultations on draft guidelines released in May.
• The guidelines will come into effect three months from the date of publication and all advertisements using SGC must comply with the ASCI Code.
• Labelling is mandatory where SGC materially influences consumer decisions, such as synthetic influencers, replication of a real person's likeness or voice with consent, fabricated events or settings, and paid AI-generated product suggestions which must be labelled 'Sponsored by [Brand]'.
• No disclosure is required for routine editing, decorative elements, obvious fantastical effects, administrative text-based uses, and accessibility applications like subtitles and translations.
• Prohibited uses include fabricating endorsements or testimonials, misleading exaggeration of product results, deepfakes or use of an individual's likeness without consent, and unauthorised copyrighted work.
• Where disclosure is required, brands may use labels such as 'Audio/Video created using AI' or 'Audio/Video enhanced using AI', including platform-provided labels, and disclosures must follow the ASCI Code's guidelines on disclaimers.