Google starts ‘branding’ AI-edited photos
Google announced the implementation of digital watermarks for photos processed using generative artificial intelligence in the Photos app. The innovation, taking effect this week, will affect images edited using the Reimagine function in Magic Editor on Pixel 9 devices.
The Reimagine function, introduced in 2024, uses generative AI to substantially modify digital photos. Unlike standard editing tools, it allows for radical image changes, blurring the line between real photographs and images created by artificial intelligence.
For image marking, Google will use SynthID technology developed by the DeepMind division. This system embeds a digital watermark directly into content created or edited using AI, without degrading the quality of the original image. SynthID, currently in beta version, can also scan images for potential watermarks and works with text files and videos.
Users will be able to check for digital watermarks through the “About this Image” function in the photo metadata. However, the company notes that not all edits will be marked: “In some cases, changes made using Reimagine may be too minor for SynthID marking — for example, if you change the color of a small flower in the background of an image.”
The implementation of this feature is part of Google’s larger initiative to ensure transparency in the use of AI for photo editing. The decision was made in accordance with the company’s published principles in the field of artificial intelligence and responds to society’s growing need to distinguish between real photos and those created or substantially modified using AI.
