Alphabet Inc. GOOG GOOGL owned Google’s “About this image” feature was rolled out on Wednesday to provide users with context and origins of online images that could assist them in distinguishing between real and fake AI-generated images online.
What Happened: After announcing the feature at the Google I/O developer conference in May, the Sundar Pichai-led company has finally rolled out the “About this image” to English users worldwide in Google Search. The tool aims to provide users “an easy way to check the credibility and content” of images that one can see online.
Users can access this feature via the three-dot menu in both Google Search and Google Images results. At the time of writing, the feature wasn’t available to us, so we couldn’t independently verify its capabilities.
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According to Google, the “About this image” is designed to shed light on an image’s origins, including metadata (when available), and provide valuable context regarding how news outlets and fact-checking websites have described it over time.
Users can trace an image back to its first appearance on Google Search and learn whether it’s AI-generated. This essentially adds a layer of transparency where realistic and often photoshopped images continue to spread misinformation and disinformation.
Unrelated or out-of-context images being shared on social media are alarmingly common. In fact, sometimes, even real images and videos get flagged erroneously. Google’s “About This Image” tool hopes to put the power back in the hands of online truth-seekers.
However, there’s a catch.
While it’s undoubtedly a step in the right direction, the tool relies on users proactively verifying image sources. Misleading images can easily go viral on social media without a second thought, so the feature might only be helpful to a certain extent.
It is worth noting that Google previously announced plans to make the tool accessible via Google Lens, right-clicking or long-pressing on images in Chrome and swiping up in the Google App when encountering an image users want to learn more about.
These additional access options are currently in development and testing and are expected to roll out in the coming months, reported The Verge, citing a Google spokesperson.
Besides the “About this image” feature, Google also announced a beta version of Image Search Functionality in FactCheck Claim Search API. “Soon, approved journalists and fact checkers will be able to search the fact-check image corpus on Fact Check Explorer via an API and integrate the knowledge into their own solutions.”
Moreover, the company is also experimenting with generative AI to provide more information about online sources through its AI-powered Search Generative Experience, bridging information gaps when existing sources fall short.
Image Credits – Shutterstock
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