February 6, 2026
Tag, you’re AI
A new bill in New York would require disclaimers on AI-generated news content
Label it, ban it, or chill? Commenters clash over AI news tags, big fines, and “Wikipedia panic”
TLDR: New York proposes a law forcing AI-made news to carry labels and pass human review, with newsroom disclosures and worker protections. Commenters are split between calling it fear-driven overkill, demanding outright bans on passing AI as human, and insisting on tough enforcement with big fines—stakes are trust and jobs.
New York just dropped the NY FAIR News Act, a proposal to slap clear labels on AI-made news, force a human editor to review anything AI touches (text, audio, images), and make newsrooms tell staff when and how AI is used. It even adds protections so journalists aren’t pushed out by bots and safeguards to keep sources’ secrets away from AI tools. Unions from writers to actors are cheering, and lawmakers say it’s about trust, not tech.
But the comments? On fire. One camp calls it “Wikipedia panic 2.0,” with PlatoIsADisease arguing that in a decade, warning labels will look as silly as early “don’t use Wikipedia” scolds. Another camp says New York isn’t going far enough—Llamamoe wants it to be straight-up illegal to pass off AI work as human, period. And then there’s the “make it hurt” crowd: wateralien wants massive fines for any funny business.
International comparisons are flying—rasjani notes Finland’s public broadcaster YLE already flags even light AI tweaks to images. Closer to home, ddtaylor shrugs that Oregon has similar rules but “doesn’t enforce” them. The memes write themselves: “Tag, you’re AI,” “News Not Slop,” and jokes about future news anchors signing every headline with a little robot emoji. Whether this bill becomes a new standard or just another label everyone ignores, the internet is treating it like a culture war over who gets to tell the news—and who gets paid for it.
Key Points
- •New York lawmakers proposed the NY FAIR News Act to require AI-generated news content to carry disclaimers.
- •The bill mandates human editorial review for any content created using generative AI, including text, audio, images, and visuals.
- •News organizations must disclose to newsroom staff when and how AI is used and implement safeguards to protect source confidentiality from AI tools.
- •A carve-out would exclude copyrightable material from labeling requirements, aligning with U.S. Copyright Office guidance on AI authorship.
- •The proposal is backed by media unions and includes labor protections restricting job or pay reductions due to generative AI adoption.