Google's latest tool can identify content generated by AI
What's the story
Google has announced a new tool, SynthID Detector, to help users identify content created by its artificial intelligence (AI) models.
The announcement was made at the company's I/O 2025 event.
The verification tool uses the tech giant's SynthID watermarking technology to identify AI-generated images, videos, audio files, or text snippets.
Media surge
SynthID Detector responds to surge in AI-generated media
The launch of SynthID Detector comes as a response to the growing prevalence of AI-generated media online.
As per a report by The Times, deepfake videos have witnessed a staggering 550% increase from 2019 to 2024.
Additionally, four out of the top 20 most-viewed posts on Facebook in the US last year were "obviously created by AI," highlighting the growing impact of this technology.
Constraints
Limitations of SynthID Detector
Despite its potential, SynthID Detector comes with certain limitations. It can only identify media created with tools using Google's SynthID specification, mostly those developed by Google itself.
Competing companies like Microsoft, Meta and OpenAI have their own content watermarking technologies.
Further, Google admits that its SynthID technology is not infallible and can be bypassed especially when it comes to text-based content.
Adoption
Widespread adoption of SynthID standard
Despite these limitations, Google maintains that its SynthID standard is widely adopted.
The tech giant claims that over 10 billion pieces of media have been watermarked with SynthID since its inception in 2023.
This widespread use underscores the reach and potential influence of the SynthID standard in marking AI-generated content.