The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) released comprehensive guidelines on September 29, 2026 for the responsible labelling of synthetically generated content (SGC) in advertising. According to reports from GKToday, these guidelines specify when advertisers must disclose the use of SGC and which uses are not permitted. The new framework follows stakeholder consultations on the draft released by ASCI in May 2026 and will come into effect three months from the date of publication. The Advertising Standards Council of India is a self-regulatory organisation established in 1985 that issues codes and guidelines for advertising practices across print, digital, television, and other media platforms. ASCI stated that the framework focuses on how such content affects consumers, rather than on the technology used to create it, emphasizing practical transparency requirements while keeping consumers at the centre of the framework.
According to ASCI, synthetically generated content must be designed to appear real, authentic or true and depict or portray an individual or event in a way that is likely to be understood, perceived or believed to be true, or be indistinguishable from a natural person or a real-world event. As reported by GKToday, SGC encompasses synthetic influencers, replicated likenesses or voices of real persons, fabricated events, and fabricated settings. SGC becomes misleading or harmful when it creates unrealistic expectations, exploits vulnerable audiences, depicts unsafe situations, uses an individual's likeness without consent, or communicates false or misleading information. According to ASCI, SGC can create consumer risks when it generates unrealistic expectations, exploits vulnerable audiences, depicts unsafe situations, uses an individual's likeness without consent, or presents false or misleading information.
The new guidelines establish four key areas to help advertisers determine when disclosure is required and which uses of SGC are not permissible. According to ASCI, disclosure will be required when synthetic content has a material influence on a consumer's decision and failing to identify it could affect the consumer's understanding of the advertisement. This includes the use of synthetically generated influencers or ambassadors, as well as the replication of a real person's likeness or voice with consent for personalised advertising. Disclosure will also be required for fabricated events or settings that could influence how consumers perceive a product or service, demonstrations of products that do not currently exist, and AI-generated sound effects that are relevant to a product's core features. Paid or sponsored AI-generated product recommendations will additionally need to carry the disclosure: "Sponsored by [Brand]". Certain uses remain prohibited even with an AI label, including fabricated endorsements, misleading product results, non-existent locations presented as real, unauthorised copyrighted material, deepfakes, and the use of an individual's likeness without consent. Prohibited content includes advertisements that are illegal, infringe rights, contain misleading claims or violate the ASCI Code, irrespective of whether an AI label is used. As per ASCI, adding an AI label will not make an otherwise misleading or non-compliant advertisement acceptable.
The guidelines provide exemptions for routine editorial changes that do not materially affect informed consumer choice. According to ASCI, these exempted changes include colour correction, lighting adjustments, noise reduction, minor blemish removal, decorative elements, and clearly fantastical effects that do not materially alter the intended message. The framework also covers routine AI-assisted editing that enhances content without materially altering its meaning or intended message. This exemption ensures that standard creative adjustments don't require mandatory disclosure while maintaining transparency for more substantial AI-generated content. All administrative and text-based applications, including the generation of advertising copy, as well as accessibility applications such as subtitles, translations and accurate audio descriptions are similarly excluded. Advertisers may use alternative wording, provided it accurately communicates the nature of the synthetic content, and required disclosures will have to comply with the ASCI Code's provisions on disclaimers, wherever applicable. All advertisements using synthetically generated content will continue to be assessed against the ASCI Code in its entirety.
Manisha Kapoor, secretary general and CEO of ASCI, stated that the guidelines are intended to establish practical transparency requirements while keeping consumers at the centre of the framework. As per ASCI, the approach focuses on the potential impact of synthetic content on consumers rather than the technology used to create it. Kapoor emphasized that an AI disclosure by itself does not make an otherwise misleading advertisement compliant, with advertisers continuing to be responsible for ensuring that the final communication is honest, transparent and in line with the ASCI Code. The guidelines come as advertisers increasingly use artificial intelligence to create, modify and enhance advertising content, with the framework designed to provide clear guidance on responsible AI advertising practices. The final guidelines follow the stakeholder consultation on the draft released in May 2026, with feedback invited until June 13, 2026. The draft was aligned with the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules, 2026, notified by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology on February 10, 2026, and in force from February 20, 2026.
