Transparency has consistently been a key principle in frameworks designed to ensure the safe and reliable development of AI. In its Ethics Guidelines for Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence, the independent AI High-Level Expert Group appointed by the European Commission emphasized transparency amongst other essential principles, such as human agency and oversight and technical robustness and safety. Furthermore, the OECD AI Principles, first adopted in 2019 and updated in May 2024, highlight transparency alongside principles such as sustainable development and accountability. A similar approach is reflected in the UK's 2023 White Paper on AI, titled "A Pro-Innovation Approach to AI Regulation", which focuses on key pillars such as transparency, as well as fairness and contestability.

In line with these other initiatives, one of the central pillars of the EU AI Act’s framework is the emphasis on transparency requirements. These provisions seek to address growing concerns surrounding the transparency of AI models and systems. This blog post will explore the transparency obligations outlined in the EU AI Act, with a focus on the requirements outlined in Article 50.