Users on social media have found a controversial way to use Google's new Gemini AI model!
People are now using it to remove watermarks from images, including those from well-known stock photo agencies like Getty Images.
Last week, Google released wider access to its Gemini 2.0 Flash model which can create and edit images.
As per the reports, this AI tool can generate images of celebrities and copyrighted characters without restriction and can also erase watermarks from existing photos.
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Shortly after its release, it raises concerns about copyright violations and potential misuse.
Users on X (formerly Twitter) and Reddit have noticed that Gemini 2.0 Flash can not only remove watermarks but also fill in the missing parts of an image where the watermark was deleted.
While, other AI tools can do this too Gemini 2.0 Flash is particularly effective and free to use.
However Google's Gemini 2.0 Flash is currently labeled as "experimental" and "not for production use" and is only available through Google’s developer tools like AI Studio.
In contrast, other AI models, like Claude 3.7 Sonnet (by Anthropic) and GPT-4o (by OpenAI), refuse to remove watermarks with Claude even stating that doing so is "unethical and potentially illegal."
Removing a watermark from an image without the owner's permission is generally illegal under US copyright law, except in rare cases.
However, Google has not yet responded to a request for comment on the issue.
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