# AI-generated content is disclosed

- **Pattern:** `ab-000437` (`app-store-metadata-listing.compliance-declarations.ai-disclosure`)
- **Severity:** medium
- **Lifecycle:** active
- **Last modified:** 2026-04-18
- **Canonical URL:** https://auditbuffet.com/patterns/ab-000437
- **License:** CC-BY-4.0 — attribute to AuditBuffet Pattern Catalog (https://auditbuffet.com/patterns/ab-000437)

## Why it matters

Apple Guideline 1.1.6 requires apps that generate content using AI to disclose this to users within the app experience. Google Play's AI-Generated Content policy applies additional scrutiny to apps generating realistic images, audio, or video of real people — including mandatory disclosure labels. Enforcement is tightening: as of 2024, Apple has rejected apps that generate AI content without in-app disclosure, and Google Play has added mandatory content labels for AI-generated realistic imagery. Omitting disclosure also undermines user trust when AI limitations (hallucinations, inaccurate outputs) surface, since users have no framework for evaluating AI-generated content they believed was human-curated.

## Severity rationale

Medium because non-disclosure triggers rejection under Apple Guideline 1.1.6 and Google Play's AI policy, with enforcement expanding across review categories.

## Remediation

Add a visible AI disclosure near every surface that renders AI-generated content. A minimal implementation in React Native:

```tsx
// src/components/AIResponseCard.tsx
<View>
  <Text>{aiGeneratedContent}</Text>
  <Text style={styles.aiLabel}>Generated by AI · May contain errors</Text>
</View>
```

For apps generating images or audio of real people, the disclosure must appear before content generation, not only after. Include AI usage in the App Store description — reviewers look for this and its presence reduces scrutiny, not increases it. Update `fastlane/metadata/ios/<locale>/description.txt` to mention AI generation explicitly. Store the disclosure component in `src/components/ai/` so it is consistently applied across all AI output surfaces.

## Detection

- **ID:** `ai-disclosure`
- **Severity:** `medium`
- **What to look for:** Check `package.json` or `pubspec.yaml` for AI SDK dependencies: `openai`, `@anthropic-ai/sdk`, `@google/generative-ai`, `cohere-ai`, `replicate`, `langchain`, or similar. Check source files for API calls to AI services (patterns like `/v1/chat/completions`, `/v1/messages`, `generateContent`, model name strings like `"gpt-4"`, `"claude-3"`, `"gemini-pro"`). If AI-generated content is detected, verify: (a) Apple's App Store guidelines (Guideline 1.1.6) require apps that generate content using AI to clearly disclose this to users within the app experience, (b) Google Play requires disclosure of AI-generated content in certain categories (especially apps generating realistic images, videos, or audio of real people), (c) check app store metadata text for any mention of "AI-powered" or "AI-generated" — this framing in the description triggers stricter review scrutiny but is not prohibited, (d) look for any in-app disclaimer or "AI-generated content" label in source files near AI output rendering components. Count all instances found and enumerate each.
- **Pass criteria:** No AI content generation detected; or AI generation is detected and in-app disclosure is present (a disclaimer, label, or clearly communicated "AI-generated" indicator near AI-generated content). At least 1 implementation must be confirmed.
- **Fail criteria:** AI content generation (text, images, audio, or video) is confirmed by library dependencies and no in-app disclosure is present anywhere in the source.
- **Skip (N/A) when:** No AI SDK dependencies detected and no API calls to known AI services found.
- **Detail on fail:** `"openai package detected in package.json with chat completion calls, but no AI disclosure label is present near AI-generated content in the source files"`.
- **Remediation:** AI disclosure requirements are evolving rapidly and enforcement is increasing.
  1. Add a clear, user-visible disclosure near any AI-generated content: "Generated by AI", "AI-powered response", or similar
  2. Include AI usage in your App Store description — this sets accurate expectations and often reduces reviewer scrutiny, not increases it
  3. For apps generating images or audio of real people (deepfakes, voice synthesis), additional disclosure requirements apply — consult Apple Guideline 1.1.6 and Google Play's Impersonation policy
 Add AI disclosure text to the app's UI in `src/components/` and to store metadata in `fastlane/metadata/` or `src/store-metadata/`.

## External references

- external apple-guideline-1.1.6 — https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/#1.1.6
- external google-play-ai-generated-content-policy — https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/14196592

Taxons: content-integrity, regulatory-conformance

HTML version: https://auditbuffet.com/patterns/ab-000437