Introducing Clear Disclosure Requirements or Labelling Standards to Identify AI-generated Images on Products or Services
Ministry of Trade and IndustrySpeakers
Summary
This question concerns Dr Charlene Chen’s inquiry on introducing disclosure requirements for AI-generated product images and strengthening public education to help consumers identify such content. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong clarified that the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act already addresses misleading claims, though specific AI-labelling standards are not currently planned. He highlighted the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore’s efforts to promote responsible AI use through the AI Markets Toolkit and updates to the Technical Reference 76 industry code. Additionally, the Singapore Code of Advertising Practice and recent guides on quality-related claims ensure that advertisements remain truthful and transparent for consumers. For public empowerment, the Infocomm Media Development Authority provides workshops through the SG Digital Office and resources on the Digital for Life Portal to counter misinformation and deepfakes.
Transcript
65 Dr Charlene Chen asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry (a) whether clear disclosure requirements or labelling standards will be introduced to help consumers, including seniors, identify AI-generated images that make representation about products and services; and (b) how the Ministry plans to strengthen public education on identifying such AI-generated content.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: The Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act protects consumers against businesses that make misleading or false claims about their products or services, whether or not they are AI-generated. There are currently no plans to introduce specific disclosure requirements or labelling standards for AI-generated content of products and services.
To support a transparent and trusted digital marketplace, the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCS) has worked with e-commerce platforms and industry players to raise industry standards and promote responsible business conduct in the e-commerce space. This includes the use of artificial intelligence (AI) via enhancements to the Technical Reference 76 industry code on e-commerce transactions. CCS has also released an AI Markets Toolkit to help businesses self-assess and identify fair trading risks arising from the use of AI.
There are also guides to help businesses advertise their products and services responsibly. This includes the Singapore Code of Advertising Practice issued by the Advertising Standards Authority of Singapore, which requires all advertisements to be decent, honest and truthful. Just last month, CCS also issued a guide on quality-related claims to help businesses make clear and accurate product claims.
Consumer education and awareness are key to empower the public to make informed decisions. The Infocomm Media Development Authority's (IMDA) SG Digital Office conducts workshops for seniors on how to stay safe and smart online against AI-generated misinformation. IMDA's Digital for Life Portal also contains resources on how the public can stay safe against online misinformation and deepfakes and use AI safely and responsibly.