Users have discovered that Gemini AI removes watermarks from images, including copyrighted stock photos. This has raised ethical and legal concerns about AI’s role in digital content creation.
How Gemini AI Removes Watermarks
Google’s Gemini 2.0 Flash model recently expanded its image generation and editing capabilities. However, social media users found that it can:
Remove watermarks from images with high accuracy, Fill in missing areas after watermark removal and Edit copyrighted content, including stock photos
Why This Is a Major Concern
While Gemini 2.0 Flash is labeled as “experimental” and “not for production use,” its capabilities have sparked debate. Other AI models, like OpenAI’s GPT-4o and Anthropic’s Claude 3.7 Sonnet, explicitly refuse to remove watermarks, citing ethical and legal concerns.
Key Issues:
Potential copyright infringement – Watermark removal without consent is illegal under U.S. copyright law.
Lack of restrictions – Unlike competing models, Gemini AI does not block watermark removal.
Possible misuse – Free access to this tool could lead to unauthorized use of copyrighted images.
Google’s Response & Industry Reactions
Google has not yet addressed concerns about Gemini AI’s watermark removal ability. Copyright holders, including stock photo agencies, are expected to demand stricter content safeguards. AI experts argue that stronger guardrails are needed to prevent misuse.
Final Thoughts
The discovery that Gemini AI removes watermarks raises serious questions about AI ethics and copyright protection. As AI-powered editing tools become more advanced, tech companies may face growing pressure to implement responsible AI safeguards.
