New York's Senate Bill S8420A went into effect on June 9th. It requires businesses to disclose when an ad features an AI-generated human, what the law calls a "synthetic performer." Here's the breakdown: It applies specifically to AI-generated people. Not products, backgrounds, or scenarios. Just synthetic humans. The fine is $1,000 for the first violation and $5,000 for every repeat. The advertiser pays it, not the platform. If you're not advertising in New York, you might think this doesn't apply to you. It does, just not yet directly. The EU has similar regulation under the AI Act. Brazil, Peru, Chile, and Colombia all have bills in progress. Meta, Google, and TikTok are already auto-labeling AI-generated images and video. The direction is clear: customers are going to know when content is AI-generated, whether by law or by platform policy. Here's what this means for your business: If you're using AI-generated spokespeople or fake customer testimonials in your marketing, that's exactly the kind of thing regulators are targeting. And honestly, even where it's not illegal yet, it erodes trust the moment customers figure it out. The good news is this doesn't mean avoiding AI. It means being smart about where you use it. AI is incredibly useful for researching your market, writing copy, drafting scripts, editing video, designing graphics, and analyzing data. None of that is the problem. The problem is using AI to fake a real person recommending your business. A fake customer testimonial. A synthetic technician explaining your services. That's where trust breaks and where the legal risk lives. For a local service business, this is actually good news. Real reviews from real customers, real photos of real jobs, and a real face behind your business have always mattered more than polished AI content. Now there's regulatory pressure reinforcing exactly what already worked. Use AI to work faster. Use real humans to build trust. What's your take, should AI-generated content always be disclosed?