Google Lets Users Disable Visible Watermarks on AI-Generated Content

Google has updated the settings for its artificial intelligence tools, and users can now choose to turn off visible watermarks on AI-generated images, videos, and music. With the latest update, users can find and disable the new "media watermark" option in Gemini as well as in Flow, Google's AI video generator. When the option is turned off, Google will remove the characteristic watermark logo that appears in the bottom-right corner of content generated by its Nano Banana and Omni models.

Although the visible watermark has become optional for users, invisible SynthID watermarks and C2PA metadata will still be embedded at the underlying level of AI-generated content, according to Josh Woodward, vice president of Google Labs, Gemini, and AI Studio. Users can still verify whether a piece of content was generated by artificial intelligence by asking Gemini or Google Search.

Other mainstream AI image generation platforms on the market, such as those from OpenAI and Meta, similarly do not apply visible watermarks. OpenAI relies on SynthID and C2PA to identify AI content, while Meta has launched its own Content Seal standard. In addition, Anthropic announced this week that it will apply invisible watermarking technology to its AI-generated text and images.

Google also plans to roll out the new watermark toggle setting to Google Search, but the feature will not be made available in countries and regions where local laws require the display of visible watermarks.