OpenAI is making it easier to check if an image was made by their models
Quick Answer
OpenAI has introduced measures to verify AI-generated images, committing to the C2PA standard for metadata signaling and partnering with Google for the SynthID watermark.
Quick Take
These tools aim to enhance image authenticity checks, initially focusing on OpenAI's products but with plans for broader application.
Key Points
- OpenAI adopts C2PA standard for clear metadata signaling of AI-generated images.
- Partnership with Google introduces SynthID, a durable invisible watermark.
- Public verification tool will initially check only OpenAI-generated images.
- C2PA aims to mitigate AI imagery's negative impact on public discourse.
- SynthID persists through digital manipulation, enhancing image authenticity.
📖 Reader Mode
~2 min readWith AI image generators widely available online and more sophisticated than ever, it’s never been harder to tell if an image is authentic. But on Tuesday, OpenAI announced two new measures to help fight the problem.
The company has committed to an open standard called C2PA, which adds a clear signal in metadata that an image was generated by AI. OpenAI is also partnering with Google to include an invisible watermark called SynthID, which will be harder to detect, but also harder to erase if bad actors try to cover their tracks.
The new protections only apply to images generated by OpenAI products, so they won’t affect the flood of imagery coming from less reputable AI tools; they can help ensure that OpenAI isn’t part of the problem.
OpenAI is also previewing a public verification tool that will check for both signals, allowing users to easily test whether an image was generated using AI. Initially, the tool will only extend to images generated by OpenAI products; the company hopes to expand it to cover other tools over time.
Founded in 2021, the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA) is a non-profit dedicated to mitigating the harmful effects of AI imagery on public discourse. The C2PA standard has been adopted by a range of Google products, but adoption remains inconsistent across the industry. Because the C2PA signal is clearly accessible in the metadata of each file, it can be manipulated, and is most useful among trusted users.
SynthID is a newer effort designed to be a more robust measure to meddling. Developed by Google, the SynthID watermark is designed to persist even when bad actors attempt to remove it, either through screenshots, resizing or digital manipulation.
The two systems are meant to complement each other, with each addressing the other’s weaknesses.
“Watermarking can be more durable through transformations like screenshots, while metadata can provide more information than a watermark alone,” OpenAI noted in its announcement. “Together, they make provenance more resilient than either layer would be on its own.”
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Russell Brandom has been covering the tech industry since 2012, with a focus on platform policy and emerging technologies. He previously worked at The Verge and Rest of World, and has written for Wired, The Awl and MIT’s Technology Review. He can be reached at russell.brandom@techcrunch.com or on Signal at 412-401-5489.
— Originally published at techcrunch.com
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