The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) issued new guidelines on September 29 requiring advertisers to label AI-generated images, videos, and audio in advertisements when such content could materially influence consumer decisions. These rules will come into effect three months after publication, setting a December deadline for compliance, according to medianama.com.
The guidelines specify that brands must disclose AI-generated content that might mislead consumers if left unlabelled. ASCI’s definition of synthetically generated content aligns closely with the Information Technology (IT) Amendment Rules 2026, which have required platforms to label AI content since February 20. However, ASCI and the IT Rules apply different criteria for when labels are necessary. For example, AI influencers or ambassadors and cloned faces or voices require labels under both frameworks, while decorative AI backgrounds do not require brand labelling under ASCI but may under IT Rules.
This move addresses growing concerns about transparency in advertising as AI-generated content becomes more prevalent. The ASCI guidelines complement the IT Rules by focusing on brand responsibility rather than platform enforcement. The distinction between when brands versus platforms must label AI content aims to reduce consumer confusion and ensure that AI-generated ads do not mislead buyers. The guidelines exclude AI-written ad copy from labelling requirements, as they cover only audio and visual AI content.
Brands will need to adapt their advertising practices by December 29 to comply with ASCI’s labelling mandate. The IT Amendment Rules 2026 continue to require platforms like Instagram and YouTube to label AI content independently, creating a dual layer of transparency for consumers engaging with AI-driven advertisements.