Google Photos app is set to introduce a new disclosure feature that will indicate when a photo has been edited using one of its AI tools like Magic Editor, Magic Eraser, and Zoom Enhance. This disclosure will be visible at the bottom of the “Details” section of the photo. Google aims to enhance transparency with this new feature, but it may not be immediately obvious to viewers that a photo has been edited using AI, as there are no visual watermarks present within the frame of the picture.
The announcement of this new disclosure comes shortly after Google launched its Pixel 9 phones, which come with various AI photo editing features. The decision to add these disclosures seems to be a response to the criticism Google faced for distributing AI tools without clear visual indicators for users.
In addition to AI-edited photos, Google Photos will also indicate when photos have been edited using features like Best Take and Add Me, which do not utilize generative AI. However, these indications will be in the metadata of the photo, not in the Details tab. These features are designed to edit multiple photos to create a single cohesive image.
While these new disclosures aim to address concerns about transparency, they may not fully resolve the issue of identifying AI-edited photos. The lack of visual watermarks within the frame of the photo remains a challenge, as many users do not check metadata or details tabs when viewing photos online.
Visual watermarks, while helpful, are not foolproof either, as they can be easily removed or edited out. Google has not provided information on any additional measures they are taking to help users quickly identify AI-edited photos.
The widespread use of Google’s AI image tools may lead to an increase in synthetic content online, blurring the line between what is real and what is fake. While Google is taking steps to flag AI images on its platforms, other platforms may be slower to implement similar measures.
Overall, the introduction of these new AI photo disclosures by Google is a step towards improving transparency, but more efforts may be needed to address the challenges posed by AI-generated content online.
