iPhone 18 Pro can authenticate that your photo wasn’t edited with AI
Apple is introducing a new Reference Image feature as part of the new iPhone 18 Pro, which digitally authenticates that the image you took with the camera has not been altered later by AI. If edits have been made, users can see the ‘digital negative’ original and compare the differences. This is Apple’s answer to the rise of synthetic AI-generated imagery. Reference Image ensures that people…
Apple has announced an innovative feature called Reference Image as part of the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro. This feature aims to authenticate the authenticity of photos taken with the device's camera, ensuring they haven't been edited using AI. By leveraging Apple Private Cloud Compute, the Reference Image process generates a digital negative or 'original' of the image, allowing users to compare and detect any alterations.
The Reference Image feature is designed to address the growing prevalence of synthetic AI-generated imagery. It provides a way for individuals to verify whether the images they view represent true reality or have been manipulated. This verification process is not confined to the iPhone 18 Pro; users can share the signed images along with the reference signatures, enabling others to verify the authenticity of the photos as well.
However, Apple has decided to exclude the Reference Image feature from being available in the European Union and China. Nonetheless, Apple's image generation features, such as Image Playgrounds and the new Apple Intelligence editing tools like Extend and Spatial Reframe, will incorporate SynthID markers to offer added protection against AI-generated content.
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