As governments increase demands for labels on AI-generated content, Google DeepMind has released a potential solution: a watermarking tool.
Named SynthID, the system harnesses deep learning to embed digital stamps into the pixels of images. According to DeepMind, the watermarks are imperceptible to the human eye, but detectable with an algorithm.
The UK-based research lab said the watermark doesn’t compromise image quality. It also remains detectable after modifications, such as adding filters, changing colours, and cropping.
The concept resembles watermarks applied to movies and stock photos. But in this case, the objective isn’t to protect rights holders from counterfeits, but viewers from deception.
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“While SynthID isn’t a silver bullet for misinformation, it’s a promising technical solution to some of today’s pressing AI safety issues,” Demis Hassabis, Google DeepMind’s co-founder and CEO, said on X.