Google adds a toggle in Gemini and Flow to remove visible watermarks from AI-generated images, videos, and music; SynthID watermarks and C2PA metadata remain (Emma Roth/The Verge)

Google has introduced a toggle feature in Gemini and Flow that allows users to remove visible watermarks from AI-generated images, videos, and music. Despite this new capability, the company will continue to embed invisible SynthID and C2PA watermarks into AI-generated content. These invisible watermarks, along with C2PA metadata, will still be present in the background of AI-generated content.

The visible watermarks, which appear as a "sparkle" in the bottom-right corner, can now be toggled off in the settings of Gemini and Google's AI video generator, Flow. However, AI-generated content will still bear these invisible markers, making it possible to verify if a piece of content has been created using AI tools by asking Gemini or Search if it is AI-generated.

While this update may make it more challenging to quickly determine if an image or video is AI-generated, many users have already been removing visible watermarks. Other AI image generators, such as OpenAI and Meta's, do not apply visible watermarks. Instead, they rely on SynthID and C2PA to indicate if a piece of content is AI-generated.

Meta has also launched its own Content Seal standard. Furthermore, Anthropic has announced plans to apply invisible watermarks to both AI-generated text and images. Google intends to roll out the new watermark toggle to Search as well, but the option will not be available in countries that require visible watermarks.