AI & Models
Anthropic to watermark AI-generated text under EU rules
Anthropic says it will watermark text generated by its models, including Claude, to comply with the EU AI Act's Transparency Code that took effect August 2.
Anthropic will watermark text generated by its models, including Claude, to comply with European regulations, the company now says. The AI model maker confirmed the watermarking in an updated support page. The EU AI Act’s Transparency Code, which took effect on August 2, requires AI companies to mark AI-generated or edited content in a way other systems can identify.
Anthropic said all models released after August 2 will automatically carry technology to watermark both computer-generated text and files; for files, the company is using the open C2PA standard. The company said it will extend support for older models as well, and that the watermark will travel when users copy and paste the text. “Because the watermark is part of the text, it will travel with the text when it’s copied and pasted elsewhere, and may persist through some editing. Watermarking will be applied at the model level, which means it will be present no matter which Claude product or surface the text comes from,” the support page reads.
It’s not clear how much editing users would need to do to remove the watermark; TechCrunch has asked Anthropic to clarify. The company noted that watermarking will apply across products including the Claude platform API, Claude, Claude Code, Claude Cowork, and Claude Tag.
Platforms are increasingly rushing to watermark AI-generated content, both after backlash from users and to avoid regulatory scrutiny. Last week, AI music platform Suno said it will mark tracks created on its platform after a spate of legal challenges. Last month, newsletter service Substack teamed up with Pangram to flag AI-generated content; Substack CEO Chris Best called out “Claudefishing,” a term for people using AI to generate content. Beyond Anthropic, companies including Black Forest Labs, Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, and Synthesia have also committed to adhering to the EU’s code.
Why it matters
As the EU’s Transparency Code pushes AI labs toward mandatory content labeling, watermarking that travels with copied and pasted text could become a de facto global standard for identifying AI-generated writing, well beyond European users.