On Thursday, Google announced it will start implementing digital watermarks on images edited with generative AI in Photos, beginning this week. The watermark specifically targets images modified using the Reimagine feature available through the Magic Editor on Pixel 9 devices.
Launched in 2024, Reimagine employs generative AI to modify different elements of digital photographs. Similar to other features found in Magic Editor, it aims to enhance images captured by the device. This AI utilization allows for significantly more transformative edits, causing a blending of realities between genuine photographic content and entirely AI-generated images.
As the quality of images produced by generative AI continue to improve, advocates for digital transparency have urged for a standardized technique to help the public discern whether an image is computer-generated. Digital watermarking has been proposed as a viable solution since it can be integrated into a file without altering the image itself.
Google plans to utilize SynthID for marking applicable images. Developed by Google’s DeepMind team, this feature “inserts a digital watermark directly into AI-generated content without compromising the original material.” Additionally, SynthID can scan images for possible watermarks. Currently in a beta phase, the feature also supports AI-generated text and video files.
Users can also navigate to ‘About this Image’ to find digital watermarks embedded in the photo’s metadata.
Google notes that certain edits may not necessarily activate SynthID. According to the company, “In some instances, changes made through Reimagine may be too subtle for SynthID to identify and label—such as altering the color of a small flower in the background of an image.”
The rollout of this feature is part of a broader initiative aimed at enhancing transparency regarding AI editing in Google Photos. The company refers to its established AI principles as fundamental to guiding these decisions.
Compiled by Techarena.au.
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