EU AI icon alt text and ARIA label for AI-generated video

Put the text in the page that embeds the video. The Commission says that "if possible" the icon should be readable by assistive technologies using alt text or ARIA labels indicating the content is AI-generated or manipulated. An icon burned into the video is pixels, so a screen reader cannot read it; give the player an aria-label or a nearby text line. This is not legal advice.

Icon guidance is from the Commission's page, last updated 24 September 2026, read 2026-10-01. Sume facts are from Timeline compose and Video captions.

What does the Commission ask for?

Among its accessibility measures: a clearly visible size; plain-language labels that avoid jargon and abbreviations other than "AI"; alt text or ARIA labels where possible; disclosure that stays visible long enough to be read by users with cognitive or processing difficulties; and, if a second interactive layer holds more information, an icon that signals it and content navigable with assistive technologies. The page calls these encouraged, and gives only a summary, not a complete overview.

What does Sume put in the video, and what do I add?

What does the embed look like?

Reuse the plain wording you burned in. A label such as "AI-generated video" uses only the abbreviation the Commission allows.

<figure>
  <video
    src="https://media.sume.com/artifacts/artf_clip/labeled.mp4"
    controls
    aria-label="AI-generated video: this clip was created with AI"
  ></video>
  <figcaption>AI-generated video.</figcaption>
</figure>

Do burned-in captions count as the label?

Not for assistive technology. Caption cues burn text into the picture without speech-to-text, which helps sighted viewers but is not machine-readable. Keep captions away from the icon, as covered in keep captions off the label, and see how long to show it for timing.