Explaining recommendations and personalisation
Does your web shop show 'recommended products' or 'customers also bought'? The AI Act does not require you to explain this. Online platforms are covered by the Digital Services Act.
Recommender systems do not fall under the transparency obligations of the AI Act (Article 50). Those cover chatbots, deepfakes, AI text on matters of public interest and emotion recognition.
If you are an online platform, such as a marketplace where third parties sell, the Digital Services Act (Article 27) requires you to explain the main parameters of your recommender system and, where possible, offer users a choice. Micro and small enterprises are exempt.
If you use personal data for personalised recommendations, the GDPR requires you to explain this in your privacy policy. People can also object to profiling for direct marketing.
Best practice: a short note next to the recommendations ('Selected based on your previous visits') with a link to more information builds trust, even when it is not required.
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