Google Opens SynthID Detector, Covers OpenAI, Nvidia, Kakao
Google says it has watermarked 180 billion AI images and videos, and its free detection tool will add Apple support soon.
Google announced that its SynthID Detector tool is now available to anyone, and that it works with AI-generated content from Google, OpenAI, Nvidia and Kakao, with Apple to follow. According to TechRadar, the company also said it has watermarked 240,000 years' worth of AI-generated audio and 180 billion AI images and videos using the tool.
Meanwhile, Michael Smith was sentenced to 18 months in prison for a scheme that ran from 2017 to 2024. From 2017 to 2024, he uploaded hundreds of thousands of AI-generated songs to Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music and used over 1,000 bots to inflate play counts, making over $8 million.
Smith was ordered to forfeit $8,091,843.64 and will face two years of supervised release after his sentence. He was charged with wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy in September 2024, and pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiring to commit wire fraud in March 2026.
In April 2023, Taylor Swift's music received 9.3 million plays on YouTube Music, while Smith's music was played 80.9 million times in the same period. Apple Music Vice President Oliver Schusser said that more than a third of tracks on the platform are '100% AI' but get 'below 0.5% of usage'.
Quick answers
What is Google's SynthID Detector?
It is a watermarking and detection tool that Google says has watermarked 240,000 years' worth of AI-generated audio and 180 billion AI images and videos.
Which platforms' AI content does SynthID Detector work with?
Google says it works with content from Google, OpenAI, Nvidia and Kakao, with Apple soon to follow.
What sentence did Michael Smith receive?
He was sentenced to 18 months in prison, ordered to forfeit $8,091,843.64, and will face two years of supervised release.