Manifest Disclosure

User-visible disclosure option that covered-providers must offer for AI-generated content under the california-ai-transparency-act-sb-942.

Definition

Per Section 22757.1(e), "manifest" means easily perceived, understood, or recognized by a natural person.

Requirements

Section 22757.3(a) mandates that covered providers "shall offer the user the option to include a manifest disclosure" in AI-generated content meeting these criteria:

1. Content Identification: "identifies content as AI-generated content"

2. Clarity Standards: "is clear, conspicuous, appropriate for the medium of the content, and understandable to a reasonable person"

3. Permanence: "is permanent or extraordinarily difficult to remove, to the extent it is technically feasible"

User Choice

Unlike latent-disclosures which are mandatory, manifest disclosures are offered as an option to users, allowing them to choose whether to include visible AI identification in their generated content.

Medium Appropriateness

The disclosure must be "appropriate for the medium of the content," meaning the format and presentation should suit whether the content is:

• Image-based
• Video content
• Audio content
• Multi-modal combinations

Technical Feasibility

The permanence requirement is qualified by "to the extent it is technically feasible," acknowledging technical limitations while establishing the goal of tamper-resistant disclosures.