Google Photos will tell you if an image is edited using AI

Google has added a new feature to Photos that will tell users whether an image is edited using artificial intelligence. Google Photos now shows metadata about AI-edited images, taking another step to ensure AI isn’t put to baleful usage. 

Additionally, Google Photos will also reveal if an image has been composed of multiple photos using any non-generative tools. This can be useful to know if a photo has been edited using Pixel’s Add Me or Best Take features. Let’s see what these features are and how you can use them. 

Google Photos now adds labels to AI-edited images

In a blog post, Google revealed that it is rolling out new transparency features for its Photos app. Google says that these new features are aimed at offering more transparency for AI edits. 

Google Photos is adding metadata that show if an image is edited using AI tools. This metadata will be generated when users edit images using AI tools like Magic Editor, Magic Eraser, and Zoom Enhance. Interestingly, the metadata cannot be removed even if the image is blurred or cropped. 

Google hasn’t revealed whether it will label images edited using third-party AI tools. 

Additionally, Google is also adding more AI information to the metadata following The International Press Telecommunications Council (IPTC) standard, which is a global body for news media. This will reveal if an image has been composed of multiple photos using any non-generative tools like Google’s Add Me and Best Take. 

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Notably, OpenAI and Meta follow the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA) standard, which is an authority to address the prevalence of misleading information. Nonetheless, thanks to the addition of additional AI information, users can know more about the image in the ‘AI Info’ section. 

How to check if an image is edited using AI in Google Photos

Those users who want to check if an image is edited with AI can follow the below steps. 

Step 1: Open Google Photos.

Step 2: Open the image you suspect is edited with AI.

Step 3: Tap on the three horizontal dots in the upper right corner to see the details of the image. You can also simply scroll down to see the details.

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Step 4: Now, scroll down till the end and you should see the ‘AI info’ section, where all the AI-related information about the image will be displayed. 

Note that if an image is not edited with AI, you may not see the AI section at all. As for its availability, you should get this feature soon, and the only way to check if you have it is by following the above steps for images that you know are edited using AI.