It's getting harder to discern authentic content from stuff that's AI-generated, but there may be hope.
Some tech companies are starting to draw a line in the sand. One is Anthropic, which has updated its Claude models to watermark all generated text to comply with transparency regulations in the EU AI Act. The act, which requires AI companies to identify AI-generated and edited content, has also received commitment from companies such OpenAI, Microsoft, Google, Cohere, Meta and Synthesia.
As such, Anthropic noted in an update to its support page that all models released after August 2 will automatically watermark both text and files that they generate or edit, with files using the C2PA open standard.
Eventually, the company will expand the watermarking to older models and add in a system that enables watermarks to follow users when they copy and paste text. The standard will apply to Anthropic's suite of products, including Claude Code, Claude Cowork, and Claude Tag.
And it's not the only company that's getting serious about identifying machine-made content.
- Spotify announced on Monday that it's rolling out "AI Personas," or badges that identify when an artist " does not represent a real person," both for artists that self-disclose this information and for "relevant profiles" that do not. Additionally, Spotify will not recommend these artists in user algorithms unless users follow them. - AI music platform Suno, meanwhile, is implementing a new "watermarking and fingerprinting technology"as part of a suite of transparency tools, as well as changing its download policy to fight spam and fraud. - And newsletter distributor Substackhas integrated AI detection toolPangraminto its platform, allowing users to see how much of a blog post has been written with AI.
This shift towards transparency comes at a time when an increasing number of people are unable to detect when content is AI-generated. A study from music streamer Deezer found that 97% of listeners aren't able to tell the difference between authentic and AI-generated content. And the lines are blurry with images, too: On average, around 50% of readers of The Deep View are unable to spot AI-generated images in our daily "AI or Not" game at the bottom of the newsletter.
Our Deeper View #
Whether it's writing, photography, art, or music, AI has presented a massive existential question mark for creatives. Watermarking and transparency measures represent a significant step in the right direction for protecting the sanctity of creation, both in the consumer's right to know when content wasn't created by hand and for those trying to make a living as creators. Still, the problem at hand is similar to the one facing AI-powered cybersecurity: When presented with a 10-foot wall, bad actors will always come prepared with a 12-foot ladder, whether they're climbing over cyber defenses or watermarking tools. Additionally, a bigger question remains. Though consumers currently are generally against AI-generated content, especially when that content purports to be human-made, will consumers eventually stop caring?