The number of AI-generated content on the internet is currently increasing significantly. But it is becoming increasingly difficult to identify corresponding photos, texts or videos. Watermarking could be a solution for labeling AI content.
The topic of artificial intelligence has taken the internet by storm after the introduction of ChatGPT. Large language models have evolved enormously in a short period of time. But this always leads to the question of what a labeling requirement for AI-generated content on the internet could look like.
Because while texts and videos are getting better and better, people are finding it increasingly difficult to distinguish them from other content. A solution to this could be a type of watermark that identifies content created by an AI system.
Labeling requirement: Is a watermark for AI the solution?
A labeling requirement for AI-generated content is to be introduced in the European Union by August 2026 at the latest. Because then the transition period for the EU AI law ends.
This states that “the outputs of the AI system must be marked in a machine-readable format”. In addition, AI content should be recognizable as “artificially generated or manipulated”.
One solution could be a type of watermark that identifies AI-generated content as such. Google subsidiary DeepMind has developed a possible method for this.
Google provides this tool will be available as an open source solution for developers and companies in the future. Accompanying this publication is a Article in the specialist magazine Nature published by DeepMind researchers describing SynthID’s approach.
SynthID is “the first large-scale application of a generative text watermark for millions of users,” the article says. The tool also offers “better visibility than comparable methods”.
How does SynthID from Google work?
For example, a watermark on images, videos or audios is hidden in individual pixels or sounds. The AI system creates these elements in such a way that a pattern is created, but it is not visible or audible.
This also works for texts, but no pixels or sounds can be changed. Rather, in these cases, the way AI systems work is used.
AI models select the elements for content in such a way that they always choose the one that is statistically most likely as the following token. For example, for a question like “Where are you going…?”, the next token would be “go” rather than “shop”.
But these probabilities can be adjusted, which in turn creates corresponding patterns. These hidden patterns can then be read by an algorithm as watermarks.
Watermarking for AI: Successful test from SynthID
As part of a study, DeepMind researchers examined the effectiveness of watermarking for AI when using SynthID. To achieve this, half of 20 million responses from the Gemini chatbot were watermarked.
The watermark is therefore not recognizable to users. Because they should rate the answers positively or negatively. However, the difference between the answers with and without a watermark was only 0.01 percent.
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The article SynthID: Are watermarks a solution to detect AI content? by Maria Gramsch first appeared on BASIC thinking. Follow us too Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
As a tech industry expert, I believe that SynthID’s use of watermarks to detect AI-generated content is a step in the right direction. Watermarks have long been used in various industries to protect and track content, so applying this technology to combat the spread of AI-generated content is a logical evolution.
Watermarks can provide a unique and identifiable signature to content, making it easier to track and identify instances of AI-generated material. This can be particularly useful in the fight against deepfakes and other forms of manipulated media, where distinguishing between real and fake content is becoming increasingly challenging.
However, it is important to note that watermarks alone may not be a foolproof solution to detecting AI content. As AI technology continues to advance, so too will the sophistication of the tools used to create and manipulate content. Therefore, it will be crucial for companies like SynthID to continuously innovate and adapt their watermarking techniques to stay ahead of the curve.
Overall, I see watermarks as a valuable tool in the fight against AI-generated content, but they should be used in conjunction with other detection methods and technologies to provide a comprehensive solution.
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