If you use AI to help with your side business, you’ll eventually face a simple question: do I have to tell anyone? The answer depends on where you publish and how you used the tool. There’s no single rule, but a few platforms spell out their expectations clearly. Here are three you’re likely to run into, as of October 2026.
Amazon KDP: Generated vs. Assisted
Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing separates two kinds of AI use. Content is “AI-generated” when an AI tool created it, and KDP says it still counts as generated even if you edited it heavily afterward. Content is “AI-assisted” when you wrote it yourself and used AI to edit, refine, check errors or brainstorm.
KDP requires you to tell it about AI-generated text, images or translations when you publish or republish a book. You don’t have to disclose AI-assisted content. Either way, KDP says you are responsible for making sure everything follows its content guidelines and doesn’t infringe anyone’s intellectual property.
YouTube: Realistic Altered or Synthetic Content
YouTube asks creators to disclose content that looks realistic and was made or meaningfully changed with AI, for example a real person appearing to say something they didn’t, altered footage of a real place or event, or a realistic scene that never happened. You mark this in the “AI use” setting when you upload, and YouTube adds a label.
YouTube says you don’t need to disclose clearly unrealistic content such as animation, minor edits like color correction, or production help like using AI for a script, outline, title, thumbnail or captions. According to YouTube, the label doesn’t limit a video’s audience or its eligibility to earn money.
The FTC: No Fake Reviews or Testimonials
In August 2024, the FTC announced a final rule banning fake reviews and testimonials. It covers reviews that pretend to come from people who don’t exist, which includes AI-generated ones, and it lets the FTC seek civil penalties against people who knowingly break it. The same rule also bans buying fake followers or views to misrepresent influence.
For a small creator, the takeaway is simple: never use AI to write reviews, testimonials or “customer quotes” for your products. Only show real feedback from real buyers.
A Practical Default
Outside of specific rules, disclosure is a judgment call. A reasonable default is to be open when AI did meaningful creative work that readers might assume came from you, such as illustrations or large parts of a product. Many readers don’t mind AI help; they mind feeling misled.
Rules change, and they vary by platform and country, so check the official pages before you publish. This is general information, not legal advice.
Do this today
Pick one product or post you’ve made with AI help. Write down which parts the tool generated and which parts you wrote, then check the rules of the platform where it’s published. If a disclosure is required and missing, add it today.
More on Totally Relentless
- How to Fact-Check AI Output Before You Hit Publish
- What to Keep Out of AI Chats: Protecting Private Data in a One-Person Business
