On 20 July 2026, Singapore's Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) published the Transparency Guidelines for Generative AI Chatbots. The guidelines set out how generative AI chatbot deployers should provide meaningful transparency to consumers about their AI applications. IMDA describes the guidelines as voluntary and non-binding, positioning them as a practical standard for deployers to adopt ahead of any mandatory regulatory requirements. IMDA characterises them as among the first such consumer-facing AI chatbot transparency guidelines published globally.
The guidelines introduce a chatbot information card as the central disclosure mechanism. Deployers are urged to publish, in plain and accessible language, their chatbot's capabilities and intended uses, known limitations, safety and content moderation measures, data collection and processing practices, and channels through which users can report concerns. IMDA frames the information card as a single reference point for consumers seeking to make informed decisions about their interactions with AI systems.
AI chatbot deployers operating consumer-facing products in Singapore are the primary audience. The guidelines apply most directly to providers of general-purpose generative AI assistants, customer service chatbots, and AI-powered information services accessible to the public. Companies deploying AI chatbots in sectors with existing disclosure requirements, including financial services and healthcare, must also assess how the IMDA guidelines interact with sector-specific obligations from the Monetary Authority of Singapore and the Ministry of Health. Google, DBS, OCBC, and Singapore Airlines have publicly indicated they will reference the guidelines.
The guidelines are voluntary and carry no regulatory sanctions for non-compliance as of the date of publication. IMDA has not announced a timeline for converting them into mandatory rules, though it has indicated it will assess industry uptake and consumer outcomes. Deployers operating across multiple jurisdictions should assess whether the IMDA guidelines align with or differ from transparency requirements under the EU AI Act's Article 50, which became applicable on 2 August 2026, and from other national AI disclosure regimes.
Licentium advises AI companies and deployers on regulatory transparency obligations across Singapore and other Asia-Pacific jurisdictions, as well as on cross-border compliance with EU and US AI regulatory requirements. Work we undertake includes AI product disclosure design, sector-specific regulatory mapping, IMDA and MAS compliance assessments, and regulatory monitoring for generative AI platforms.
Source: IMDA, Transparency Guidelines for Generative AI Chatbots, 20 July 2026