Google Will Identify AI Edits in Google Photos

Google announced today that it will clearly identify images that have been edited using generative AI in Google Photos.

“As we bring AI tools to more people, we recognize the importance of doing so responsibly with our AI Principles as guidance,” Google engineering director John Fisher explains. “To further improve transparency, we’re making it easier to see when AI edits have been used in Google Photos. Starting next week, Google Photos will note when a photo has been edited with Google AI right in the Photos app.”

Today, Google Photos adds meta-data to your images when you use generative AI tools like Magic Editor, Magic Eraser, and Zoom Enhance in accordance with International Press Telecommunications Council (IPTC) standards. But going forward, it will also clearly display this information under an “AI Info” heading along with the file’s name, location, and backup status.

Google Photo will also indicate when an image is composed of elements from different photos using non-generative features. For example, images created using the Best Take feature that’s exclusive to Pixel 8 and 9 and Add Me on Pixel 9 will display this notation.

Google says it’s evaluating other ways it can identify images that were edited with AI. And it points to a September blog post for those who want to know more.