Google announced on Thursday that it will effectively begin adding digital watermarks to images of photos edited with Generative AI. The watermark applies specifically to images that are modified using the Reimagine feature found in the Magic Editor on Pixel 9 devices.
Released in 2024, Reimagine utilizes the generated AI to change aspects of digital photography. Like other Magic Editor features, it is designed to land images taken on your device. The use of AI has blurred the lines between digital photos and fully generated shots, rethinking much more dramatic image editing.
As generative AI images become more and more realistic, digital advocates are looking for a universal way to support the public whether photographs have been created from the whole fabric. Digital watermarks often emerge as a potential solution as they allow images themselves to be added to files without directly modifying them.
Google uses SynthID to mark related images. This feature, created by Google’s DeepMind department, “embedding digital watermarks directly into AI-generated content without compromising the original content.” SynthID is intended to scan potential watermark images. can also be used. This feature currently in beta also works with AI-generated text and video files.
Users can also click “About this image” to find a digital watermark in the photo’s metadata.
Google adds that certain edits may not trigger the use of SynthID. “In some cases, edits created using Reimagine may be too small for SynthID to be labeled and detected, as if you changed the color of a small flower in the background of an image.” It’s there.
The deployment of this feature is part of a larger effort to make AI editing more transparent within Google Photos. The company cites publicly-published AI principles as guidelines for such decisions.