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Start with the original image file: inspect it for Content Credentials (C2PA), then check for an invisible watermark using a verifier that supports the suspected provider. A visible logo, metadata record, and pixel-embedded watermark are different signals, and none is a universal AI detector. If a check finds nothing, that does not prove the image was made without AI.
What you are checking for
“Watermark” can refer to a mark you can see, a signed provenance record attached to the file, or an invisible signal embedded in the image pixels. Each requires a different check. C2PA is a provenance framework for recording a file’s source and history; it is not proof that the image is true or a universal verdict that it was AI-generated. C2PA Specifications 2.2
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| Signal | Where to check | What a finding can support | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visible mark, logo, or label | Look at the displayed image | A visible identifier appears on the copy you inspected | It can be cropped or edited out and is not a signed origin record. Google DeepMind |
| Ordinary metadata, such as EXIF or editing traces | Inspect the original file with a metadata viewer | The file contains recorded camera, date, or software details | Metadata may be absent, altered, or lost; its presence alone does not establish authenticity. Google Help · OpenAI API guide |
| C2PA Content Credentials | Use a compatible credential viewer or verifier | A signed provenance history can describe origin and edits, including AI use when recorded | Coverage depends on the credential and intact, valid history; it is not a universal AI verdict. Google Help |
| Invisible watermark, such as SynthID | Use a verifier that supports that watermark family | The verifier detected a supported pixel-level signal | Provider coverage is limited, and transformations can sometimes defeat detection. Google DeepMind |
Check the image in this order
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Keep the original file
Use the file you received or downloaded, not a screenshot, social-media preview, or recompressed repost. Keep an unchanged copy before inspecting it. Editing, conversion, uploading, downloading, or sharing can strip metadata, so a later copy may carry less provenance information. OpenAI Help · OpenAI API guide
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Look for a visible mark
Check the image for a logo, label, or other overlaid identifier. Treat it as context, not proof: visible marks can be cropped away, and they are distinct from embedded signals and signed provenance records. Google DeepMind · OpenAI API guide
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Inspect metadata and Content Credentials
Open the original in an image metadata or content-authenticity inspection tool. If it shows Content Credentials or C2PA, examine the issuer, the stated creation or editing actions, and any validation or trust result the viewer provides. Credentials can describe origin, edit history, and AI use, but do not by themselves establish that the entire image was generated by AI. Google Help
Ordinary details such as a camera model, capture date, or editing-software trace can be clues, not proof. They may be missing or changed, and an image can have metadata without being genuine. Google Help
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Use a verifier that matches the suspected signal
Provider tools check specific signal families rather than every AI system. Google says Gemini can check an uploaded image, video, or audio clip for SynthID and currently recognizes SynthID from Google AI tools. OpenAI Verify checks supported images or audio for OpenAI-associated provenance signals, such as supported SynthID or a trusted C2PA manifest; OpenAI says its tools are not designed to detect other companies’ AI models. Google Help · OpenAI Help · OpenAI API guide
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Which verifier should you use?
For Google AI’s SynthID
Upload the image to Gemini and ask whether Google AI created or edited it. Google says a detected SynthID means all or part of the image or video was created or edited by Google’s AI models; it does not necessarily mean the entire image was generated from a prompt. Google Help
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Google also describes a separate SynthID Detector portal, but its page says it is being tested with journalists and media professionals. Do not assume it is generally available. Google DeepMind SynthID
For OpenAI-associated signals
Use OpenAI Verify for supported images or audio. It checks OpenAI-associated signals, not images from every generator. A check may also miss OpenAI-generated content if the relevant signal is absent, unsupported, or degraded. OpenAI Help
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How to interpret the result
If a signal is detected
Report exactly what the verifier found and which provider or credential it supports. A SynthID detection can indicate AI involvement in part of an image or an edit, not necessarily that every pixel was generated. A C2PA credential can record an issuer and history, but does not establish that the image is accurate, identify its legal owner, or settle its context. Google Help · OpenAI Help
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Use wording such as “This verifier did not find a supported signal in this file,” not “This image is not AI-generated.” A negative result may reflect an unsupported service or file type, missing or stripped metadata, a degraded watermark, content created before provenance signals were used, or a signal the verifier does not check. Google also notes that SynthID may not be detectable in simple content or after a very small edit. OpenAI Help · Google Help
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