Last week, Google expanded access to Gemini 2.0 Flash, a powerful AI model designed to generate and edit images. While intended for creative use, it appears to lack strict safeguards. Users on X (formerly Twitter) and Reddit found that the AI doesn’t just erase watermarks. It intelligently fills in the gaps left behind, making it harder to detect alterations.
While other AI-powered tools also offer similar capabilities, Gemini 2.0 Flash stands out for its effectiveness. And the fact that it’s free to use.
Currently, the image generation feature in Gemini 2.0 Flash is labeled as “experimental” and “not for production use”, so it’s only accessible through Google’s developer tools, such as AI Studio. Despite this, the model’s ability to manipulate copyrighted images could lead to legal challenges.
Gemini 2.0 Flash isn’t flawless at watermark removal—it struggles with semi-transparent watermarks and those covering large portions of an image. However, its capabilities have already raised alarms among copyright holders.
Competing AI models, including Anthropic’s Claude 3.7 Sonnet and OpenAI’s GPT-4o, explicitly refuse to remove watermarks, citing ethical and legal concerns. Claude warns users that erasing watermarks is “unethical and potentially illegal.”
In the U.S., removing a watermark without the original owner’s consent is considered illegal under copyright law, with few exceptions.
Will Google Respond to the Backlash of Image Watermarks Removal?
As of now, Google has not issued an official statement regarding Gemini’s watermark removal capabilities. Requests for comment sent outside normal business hours have gone unanswered.
With growing scrutiny over AI’s impact on intellectual property, Google may soon face pressure to implement stricter content safeguards—or risk further backlash from copyright holders.
