EU institutions ban fully AI-generated visuals in official communications

BRUSSELS

The European Commission, European Parliament, and European Council have prohibited the use of fully AI-generated images and videos in official communications, officials told Politico on Wednesday.

The restriction is intended to safeguard credibility and public trust as synthetic media increasingly blurs the line between authentic and fabricated content.

“The footage and photos that we are using and making available for journalists’ use or for official information purposes do not include AI-generated content,” said Thomas Regnier, stressing that “authenticity” remains a priority.

AI tools may still be used to enhance existing visuals, such as improving quality, but fully synthetic images or videos are banned.

Experts say the cautious stance reflects legitimate concerns but could limit effectiveness in the fast-paced digital landscape.

The move follows a European Commission probe into X and its chatbot Grok under the Digital Services Act, focusing on recommender systems and sexualized imagery.