Google Adds Labels to AI Images to Combat Misinformation
Key Highlights :
Google is taking steps to combat the spread of misinformation by introducing features that will help users identify images that are generated through artificial intelligence (AI). The move comes after deepfake images of Pope Francis in a Balenciaga puffer jacket and Donald Trump resisting arrest took the internet by storm earlier this year.
Google said Wednesday it will add a “markup” in the metadata of photos produced by its own AI models to show that the images are computer-generated. Google Search will use the metadata to display a warning label when AI-generated images appear in its results. A caption underneath the image will note that it is “self-labeled as AI generated,” according to an example provided by the company in a blog post.
Images from other prominent publishers, including Midjourney and Shutterstock, will display similar warning labels in the near future. Additionally, a new tool called “about this image” is set to debut within Google’s search engine in the “coming months,” the company said in a blog post. The tab will allow users easy access to information about a particular photo that appears in search results, including when the picture was first “indexed” by Google and where else it has appeared online.
Google gave a hypothetical case involving an AI-generated photo depicting a film crew faking the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969. By clicking the “about this image” tab, users would see related articles debunking the image and other key details showing it was fake. “With this background information on an image, you can get a better understanding of whether an image is reliable — or if you need to take a second look,” the blog post said.
The move by Google came as critics, including Elon Musk and the “Godfather of AI” Dr. Geoffrey Hinton, warn that AI could exacerbate the spread of online misinformation by providing inaccurate answers or producing images nearly indistinguishable from the real thing. Hinton expressed fears it will be used for various nefarious purposes. “It is hard to see how you can prevent the bad actors from using it for bad things,” Dr. Hinton said.
Google unveiled its latest AI-centered upgrades at a closely-watched event on Wednesday as it scrambles to keep pace with rival Microsoft, which is a key investor in OpenAI and its immensely popular ChatGPT. The company also unveiled a $1,800 Pixel Fold smartphone at the event.
With the new label feature, Google is hoping to reduce the spread of misinformation and make it easier for users to identify AI-generated images. It remains to be seen if the move will be effective in curbing the spread of fake news, but it is a step in the right direction.
