California AI Transparency Act
Complete compliance reference
Summary
The California AI Transparency Act (SB 942) requires "covered providers" — operators of generative AI systems available to Californians with more than one million monthly users — to provide tools for users to detect AI-generated content and to apply latent disclosures to content their systems produce. Key requirements: (1) free public AI detection tool; (2) manifest disclosure option for users on AI-generated content; (3) latent disclosure (e.g., watermarking or provenance metadata) automatically applied to AI-generated image, video, and audio content; (4) contractual requirement that licensees not strip disclosures. Enforcement by the California Attorney General with civil penalties of $5,000 per day per violation. Effective January 1, 2026.
Key obligations
- transparency→ developerCal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 22757.x
Maintain a free, publicly available AI detection tool allowing users to assess whether content is generated or modified by the covered provider's AI system.
Deadline: ongoing_from_effective_date
- transparency→ developerCal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 22757.x
Apply latent disclosures (e.g., watermarking or provenance metadata) to AI-generated image, video, and audio content produced by the covered provider's system.
Deadline: ongoing_from_effective_date
Sources
Last verified: April 25, 2026
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