Google's AI model is removing watermark from photos, debate started about copyright

A new controversy has surfaced over Google's Gemini AI model. The AI model has been said to remove the watermark from photographs, raising serious questions over copyright. Multiple users on X (formerly Twitter) and Reddit have complained that Google's AI model called Gemini 2.0 Flash has been stripping the watermark from photographs easily. The AI model has been said to remove the watermark from photographs posted on the website of Getty Images and other stock media websites.

A report by tech website TechCrunch states that Gemini 2.0 Flash works to remove watermarks more efficiently than other AI tools. It is not only limited to removing watermarks from already existing photos, but its text-to-image generation feature also comes with weak security, allowing it to create photos associated with celebrities and copyrighted content.

If Google's AI can remove watermarks without permission, it could become a major concern for copyright holders. This could make it difficult to protect their intellectual property and may also lead to legal disputes.

Experts believe that this ability to remove watermarks could be harmful to creators and photographers who put their works under copyright protection. If anyone can remove watermarks from any image using Google's AI, it could raise questions about the originality and authenticity of online content.