AI watermarking: Why Big Tech is betting on AI provenance, and losing

kAm(96C6G6C :?E6C?6E FD6CD EFC?[ E96J 2C6 244@DE65 3J px\86?6C2E65 E6IE[ G:56@D[ 2?5 :>286D[ >2?J @7 H9:49 2C6 F?56E64E23=6] %96 D2?4E:EJ 2?5 ECFDE @7 @?=:?6 DA246D :D 4CF>3=:?8 F?56C E96 H6:89E @7 px\4@?E6?E] k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]A2?8C2>]4@>^3=@8^2:\D276EJ\6I64FE:G6\@C56CQmq:56?’D px D276EJ 6I64FE:G6 @C56Ck^2m 2?5 E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]A2?8C2>]4@>^3=@8^2:\24EQmtFC@A62? &?:@?’D px p4Ek^2m 25G@42E65 AC@A6C =236=:?8 @7 px @FEAFE[ 2=D@ <?@H? 2D “H2E6C>2C<:?8[” 3FE E96D6 C68F=2E:@?D H6C6 F?5@?6 :? a_ad] s6DA:E6 ?@ ?2E:@?2= @C :?E6C?2E:@?2= DEC2E68J[ >2?J px 4@>A2?:6D 2C6 DE:== 56G6=@A:?8 2?5 56A=@J:?8 “H2E6C>2C<:?8” D:8?2=D :? E96:C 4@?E6?E] (9:=6 E9:D :D 2 DE6A :? E96 C:89E 5:C64E:@? E@ C682:? AF3=:4 ECFDE 2?5 AC@E64E 4@?DF>6CD[ H2E6C>2C<:?8 42? 62D:=J 36 3JA2DD65]k^Am

kAmq6=@H[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]A2?8C2>]4@>Qm!2?8C2> {23Dk^2m 6IA=@C6D 9@H H2E6C>2C<D H@C<[ H9J E96J 72:= 2?5 H9J px 56E64E:@? >6E9@5D E92E C6=J @? 2 DA64:7:4 EJA6 @7 A2EE6C? C64@8?:E:@? 2C6 C6=:23=6]k^Am

k9bmpx H2E6C>2C<:?8 :D 56E64E65[ 3FE ?@E D66?k^9bm

kAm%@ 9F>2?D[ px H2E6C>2C<:?8 :D :?G:D:3=6] x?DE625 @7 2 EC25:E:@?2= H2E6C>2C< 5:DA=2J:?8 2 4@>A2?J’D ?2>6 @C =@8@[ px H2E6C>2C<D 2C6 6>365565 :?E@ 2? px >@56=VD E6IE[ :>286[ 2?5 G:56@ @FEAFE :? 2? :>A6C46AE:3=6 H2J]k^Am

kAmv@@8=6 FD6D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^566A>:?5]8@@8=6^>@56=D^DJ?E9:5^Qm$J?E9xsk^2m[ H9:49 6>365D DF3E=6 G2C:2E:@?D :? v6>:?:VD @FEAFE[ 56E64E23=6 3J v@@8=6VD @H? E649?@=@8J] u@C E6IE[ $J?E9xs 2=E6CD E96 AC65:4E23:=:EJ D4@C6D @7 46CE2:? H@C5D 244@C5:?8 E@ 2 AD6F5@C2?5@> 7F?4E:@?[ 8:G:?8 v6>:?: 2 AC676C6?46 7@C FD:?8 46CE2:? H@C5D] %9FD[ H96? E96 E6IE :D 765 324< :?E@ E96 >@56=[ :E 42? C64@8?:K6 :ED @H? 92?5:H@C< 32D65 @? H@C5 7C6BF6?4J 2?2=JD:D]k^Am

kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]4@AJC:89E]8@G^2:^QmuF==J px\86?6C2E65 4@?E6?E 42??@E 36 4@AJC:89E65 F?56C &]$] =2Hk^2m[ D@ :EVD :? px 4@>A2?:6D’ :?E6C6DE E@ 56G6=@A 2 >6E9@5 7@C 56E6C>:?:?8 E96 AC@G6?2?46 @7 E96:C >@56=VD 4@?E6?E] %92E H2J[ @?46 E96 px\86?6C2E65 E6IE[ :>286 @C G:56@ 86ED 4:C4F=2E65 2C@F?5 E96 H63[ E96C6 :D 2 D:8?2EFC6 E@ :56?E:7J H96C6 :E 42>6 7C@>]k^Am

kAmr=2:>:?8 DE2<6 E@ E96:C >@56=’D 4C62E:@?D :D?’E E96 @?=J C62D@? q:8 %649 92D DF49 2 56D:C6 7@C AC@G6?2?46] pD :?E6C?6E FD6CD 82H< 2E E96 ?6G6C\6?5:?8 A:=6 @7 px D=@A 56=:G6C65 E@ E96:C 5@@CDE6AD 52:=J[ >2;@C px 56G6=@A6CD 762C E96 =682=[ C6AFE2E:@?2= 2?5 D64FC:EJ C:D<D E92E 4@F=5 4@>6 E96:C H2J] q25 24E@CD FD6 px E@@=D E@ 4C62E6 566A72<6D @C DAC625 >:D:?7@C>2E:@?[ E9C62E6?:?8 8=@32= D64FC:EJ] %@ 2G@:5 2 A@E6?E:2= 4C24<5@H? :? E96 D92A6 @7 DEC:4E 8@G6C?>6?E >2?52E6D[ 3:8 E649 2:>D E@ 86E 29625 @7 E96 82>6 3J 3F:=5:?8 E@@=D E@ D6=7\C68F=2E6] x7 E96:C >@56=D 42? 564@56 4@?E6?E ;FDE 2D 62D:=J 2D E96J 42? 86?6C2E6 4@?E6?E[ H9J H@F=5 2?J 8@G6C?>6?E 6?E:EJ ?665 E@ >@?:E@C E96:C 56G6=@A>6?Enk^Am

k9bmq25 ?6HDi (2E6C>2C<:?8 :D ?@E 7@@=AC@@7k^9bm

kAmx7 6G6CJ@?6 :? E96 H@C=5 AC@>:D65 E@ ?6G6C 2=E6C px 4@?E6?E[ >2J36 H2E6C>2C<:?8 H@F=5 H@C<] qFE :? E9:D H@C=5[ 325 24E@CD 42? 62D:=J 2=E6C px\86?6C2E65 4@?E6?E :? 2 H2J E92E @3D4FC6D :ED @C:8:?D] $64@?52CJ A2C2A9C2D:?8 E@@=D[ =:<6 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]A2?8C2>]4@>^3=@8^H92E\:D\2\9F>2?:K6CQm9F>2?:K6CDk^2m[ 42? 62D:=J 492?86 H@C5D @C D6?E6?46 DECF4EFC6[ :?D6CE:?8 7=2HD @C 8:336C:D9 :? 2? 2EE6>AE E@ 5:D8F:D6 px\86?6C2E65 4@?E6?E] &?7@CEF?2E6=J[ D@>6E:>6D E9:D 7=:>DJ 5:D8F:D6 H@C<D] !2?8C2> {23D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2CI:G]@C8^A57^ad_`]_bcbfQmE6DE65 `h 5:776C6?E px 9F>2?:K6CDk^2m 2?5 7@F?5 E92E >2?J DF446DD7F==J C6>@G65 H2E6C>2C<:?8 7C@> E6IE]k^Am

kAmq25 24E@CD 42? 2=D@ =2F?56C E6IE 3J CF??:?8 :E E9C@F89 >F=E:A=6 5:776C6?E EC2?D=2E:@?D 367@C6 324<\EC2?D=2E:?8 :E :?E@ t?8=:D9[ C6>@G:?8 H2E6C>2C<D 2?5 4C62E:?8 2 4=62? A:646 @7 HC:E:?8 E92E H:== ?@E 7=28 E96 px 4@>A2?:6D’ 564@5:?8 DJDE6>D]k^Am

kAm(2E6C>2C<D 2C6 56=:42E6 2?5 62D:=J E2>A6C65 H:E9[ >2<:?8 E96> FD6=6DD] s6E64E:@? C6BF:C6D @E96C E@@=D]k^Am

k9bm$E2E:DE:42= A2EE6C? C64@8?:E:@?k^9bm

kAm%96 4@>A2?:6D H9@ 2C6 C6DA@?D:3=6 7@C px\86?6C2E65 D=@A 42??@E 36 D@=6=J C6DA@?D:3=6 7@C 56E64E:?8 H96? 2 A:646 @7 4@?E6?E :D E96:CD] (2E6C>2C<:?8 C6BF:C6D E96 4@@A6C2E:@? @7 px 56G6=@A6CD 2?5 42? 36 C6>@G65 :? E96 3=:?< @7 2? 6J6]k^Am

kAmqFE H96C6 @?6 >6E9@5 72:=D[ 2?@E96C AC6G2:=D] p >6E9@5 42==65 :?56A6?56?E DE2E:DE:42= A2EE6C? C64@8?:E:@? :D 72C >@C6 C@3FDE 2?5 C6=:23=6 7@C :56?E:7J:?8 px\86?6C2E65 4@?E6?E] p5G2?465 56E64E@CD 5@?’E ?665 H2E6C>2C<D E@ 7F?4E:@?] %96J 2C6 EC2:?65 @? 5:G6CD6 52E2D6ED E9C@F89 2 >6E9@5 42==65 92C5 ?682E:G6 >:?:?8[ :? H9:49 E96 56E64E@CD 2C6 765 92C5\E@\56E64E 6I2>A=6D] %96D6 56E64E@CD 42? 7=28 px\86?6C2E65 4@?E6?E 7C@> @A6?\D@FC46 @C F?C6=62D65 >@56=D[ :56?E:7J >2=:4:@FD=J >@5:7:65 E6IE[ 2?5 @776C =:?6 3J =:?6 2?2=JD:D @? >:I65 px\86?6C2E65 2?5 9F>2? HC:EE6? A:646D]k^Am

k9bmuC@> D6=7\A@=:4:?8 2?5 E@ :?56A6?56?E 56E64E:@?k^9bm

kAmpx 4@>A2?:6D H:== ?@E 364@>6 E96 492>A:@? @7 :?E6C?6E 2FE96?E:4:EJ] (2E6C>2C<:?8 :D 2 DEC2E68J E92E 5@6D ?@E DE2?5 FA E@ 325 24E@CD[ 2?5 :?56A6?56?E 56E64E:@? :D E96 @?=J C62= D@=FE:@?]k^Am

kAm%CF6 2FE96?E:4:EJ 2?5 EC2?DA2C6?4J @? E96 :?E6C?6E 42? @?=J @44FC H:E9 2 56E64E:@?\32D65 7C2>6H@C<] #6=:23=6[ :?56A6?56?E[ 2?5 DE2E6\@7\E96\2CE 56E64E@CD 2C6 96=A:?8 E@ 4C62E6 4964<D 2?5 32=2?46D 7@C E96 6?E:C6 :?E6C?6E]k^Am

kAm(96E96C J@F 2C6 2? 24256>:4[ 2 AC@76DD:@?2=[ @C 2? x% 56G6=@A6C[ H2E6C>2C<:?8 :D ?@E J@FC D:=G6C 3F==6E] !C@E64E:?8 282:?DE 24256>:4 5:D9@?6DEJ @C px DA2> 4@?E6?E C6BF:C6D 56E64E:@?] %@ 244FC2E6=J k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]A2?8C2>]4@>^3=@8^E96\DE2E6\@7\24256>:4\:?E68C:EJ\2?5\2:\56E64E:@?\a_adQmG6C:7J E96 @C:8:?D @7 6DD2JDk^2m[ 6>2:=D[ 2?5 D@4:2= >65:2 A@DED[ @C82?:K2E:@?D >FDE FD6 56E64E:@? E@@=D E92E 2?2=JK6 E6IE[ C2E96C E92? H2E6C>2C<:?8]k^Am

kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]A2?8C2>]4@>^3=@8^2:\H2E6C>2C<:?8Qmk6>m%9:D DE@CJk^6>mk^2m k6>mH2D AC@5F465 3Jk^6>m k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]A2?8C2>]4@>^Qmk6>m!2?8C2> {23Dk^6>mk^2m k6>m2?5 C6G:6H65 2?5 5:DEC:3FE65 3Jk^6>m k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^9F3D]=2^"_b<=8$#_Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmk6>m$E24<6Ck^6>mk^2m]k^Am