People are Leveraging Google’s New AI Model to Erase Watermarks from Images

Social media users have uncovered a controversial application of Google’s new Gemini AI model: stripping watermarks from images, including those from Getty Images and other major stock media providers.

Last week, Google broadened access to the image generation feature of its Gemini 2.0 Flash model, enabling it to create and edit images directly. While undeniably powerful, the tool seems to lack sufficient safeguards. It can generate images of celebrities and copyrighted characters without restriction and, as noted, remove watermarks from existing photos.

Gemini 2.0 Flash Excels at Watermark Removal and Image Reconstruction

According to multiple users on X and Reddit, Gemini 2.0 Flash doesn’t just erase watermarks but also reconstructs any missing details left behind. While other AI tools offer similar functionality, Gemini 2.0 Flash appears to excel at this task—and is available for free.

Currently, Gemini 2.0 Flash’s image generation feature is labeled as “experimental” and “not for production use,” and it is only accessible through Google’s developer tools like AI Studio. The model is also not flawless at watermark removal, as it struggles with certain semi-transparent watermarks and those covering large portions of an image.

Copyright Concerns and Ethical Questions Surround Gemini 2.0 Flash

However, the lack of usage restrictions may still raise concerns among copyright holders. Competing models, such as Anthropic’s Claude 3.7 Sonnet and OpenAI’s GPT-4o, explicitly refuse to remove watermarks—Claude even describes the practice as “unethical and potentially illegal.”

Under U.S. copyright law, removing a watermark without the owner’s permission is generally illegal, except in rare circumstances, as noted by legal experts.

Google has yet to respond to a request for comment made outside regular business hours.

Read the original article on: TechCrunch

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