Signal Korea's AI Basic Act decree mandates visible watermarks on AI output from January 2026

Summary

Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT gave advance notice of the enforcement decree of the AI Basic Act on 12 November 2025. According to the report, from 22 January 2026 AI-generated output must carry a watermark that is visible to people. The measure responds to the surge in AI-generated content and the accompanying risk of deepfakes and fake news. The report presents it as part of a broader international move toward verifying the authenticity of AI content. Blockchain-based provenance tracking, such as linking C2PA image metadata to a ledger, is shown alongside it as a complementary approach.