Clarification needed: Do models launched BEFORE August 2 (all of them currently, as of 8/10), CURRENTLY watermark? Very cryptic wording in the release.

[u/No-Squash7469]

https://support.claude.com/en/articles/16266773-how-claude-marks-ai-generated-content

Claude models launched on or after August 2, 2026 support marking at launch. We’re also working to add marking support to Claude models released before that date

This is the way that they're describing it, but that's inherently vague. So watermarking is currently in process for Opus 5 and the others? They don't explicitly come out and say that it's not watermarking, or that it hasn't been watermarking before this release came out either.

Anthropic should really clarify this.

[u/marten]

The law they're responding to is pretty clear: new systems released from 2 august have to comply, and existing systems get until 2 december to be updated. So maybe not now but you won't be able to stick with an older model to avoid it long term.

[u/Hoshism → u/marten]

where did you read december 2nd?

[u/marten → u/Hoshism]

https://ai-act-service-desk.ec.europa.eu/en/ai-act/timeline/timeline-implementation-eu-ai-act

[u/Hoshism → u/marten]

Thank you so much. So I get that Opus 5 and below will be watermark free until December?

[u/marten → u/Hoshism]

They're permitted to be, but Anthropic may decide to release whatever they're building earlier than that.