Google Introduces Digital Watermarking for AI-Edited Images

Google has announced the introduction of digital watermarks on images modified using its AI-powered Magic Editor tool.

According to the company’s statement, this new feature—set to roll out in the coming days—aims to help users easily recognize edited images. It relies on SynthID, a system that embeds invisible metadata within images to indicate whether they have been altered or generated using artificial intelligence.

This technology is already in use for images created by Imagen, Google’s AI image-generation model. Other companies have developed similar systems, such as Adobe’s Content Credentials, which tags works edited using its Creative Cloud software suite.

These digital watermarks help track modifications but can only be verified through Google’s « About This Image » tool. While this technology represents an important step in the fight against AI-generated misinformation, experts argue that it alone is not enough. They recommend using a combination of techniques to ensure the authenticity of digital content.

Notably, since last October, Google has been adding notifications in file descriptions on Google Photos to indicate whether an image has been altered by artificial intelligence.