Natural Ingredients Only: No Artificial Flavors, No Coloring, No AI

Will We Soon See Labels Like “AI-Free” on Products and Services, or Will We Be Required to Mark Them as “AI Generated”?

I’m scrolling through my social media feed when an image immediately catches my eye—a stunning scene of a small cabin perched on a rocky shore, with gentle waves crashing below its wooden deck. In the background, the blue sky is dotted with a few clouds. It’s the kind of spot you’d want to find on a map, book a stay, and escape to for a dream vacation.

But there’s a good chance this image isn’t real. While it’s mesmerizing, it’s likely that such a location doesn’t exist in the physical world. Of course, in the virtual world, I could visit breathtaking sites like this every day.

As someone who explores artificial intelligence from both a marketing and philosophical perspective, I find myself wondering: are we moving toward a reality where such images will come with labels like “AI-Free” or “AI Generated”?

Today, we encounter more and more content—articles, images, videos, and even sound clips—that’s difficult to distinguish as either naturally created by humans or synthesized by AI tools that are rapidly integrating into our daily lives.

Similar to the food industry’s shift toward “natural” and “healthy” products over the past few decades—with labels like “no preservatives,” “no artificial colors,” or “sugar-free”—will we soon see similar labels for digital content and services? Could we be required to tag products or content with labels like “AI-Free” or “AI Generated”?

The challenge, of course, lies in the details. AI is increasingly involved in various stages of content creation. A real photo that has been minimally edited with AI tools like Canva or Adobe, for instance, or an article written by a human but proofread or translated by a language model, blurs the lines.

In the realm of branding and marketing, the questions multiply. Will I need to label my LinkedIn profile picture or other photos on social media and business platforms as “AI Generated” if they were enhanced using tools like LoRA in image generators? Will transparency require me to add a notice on my business website stating that some of its content was crafted with the assistance of a language model like ChatGPT?

As a business consultant, I usually aim to provide answers. But in this case, all I have to offer is food for thought.