Google’s researchers built an Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered tool that could easily remove the watermarks that Shutterstock uses to protect all of its images across the website.
What is Shutterstock?
Shutterstock is an american stock photography company that sells licensed images. To protect its images-on-the-display from getting copied (read 'stolen'), it watermarks them.
How does the AI tool work?
Once Google’s tool analyzes hundreds of pictures with consistent semi transparent watermarks it learns to look at a photo and decide which pixel was a watermark and which wasn’t. It could then remove all the watermark pixels in any given image.
Why is this threatening?
People can manually remove watermarks today, using image editing tools like Photoshop, but this tool is automatic - it clean the watermarks off hundreds of images in the time it would take a human to clean one. So, anyone who can build such a tool can steal all images and build a parallel-similar marketplace.
What is Shutterstock doing handling such risks?
Shutterstock could lessen its risk by making its watermarks random. If the pattern changes across every image, an algorithm would have a much tougher time removing it completely.
What is Shutterstock?
Shutterstock is an american stock photography company that sells licensed images. To protect its images-on-the-display from getting copied (read 'stolen'), it watermarks them.
a sample shutterstock image with watermarks
How does the AI tool work?
Once Google’s tool analyzes hundreds of pictures with consistent semi transparent watermarks it learns to look at a photo and decide which pixel was a watermark and which wasn’t. It could then remove all the watermark pixels in any given image.
Why is this threatening?
People can manually remove watermarks today, using image editing tools like Photoshop, but this tool is automatic - it clean the watermarks off hundreds of images in the time it would take a human to clean one. So, anyone who can build such a tool can steal all images and build a parallel-similar marketplace.
What is Shutterstock doing handling such risks?
Shutterstock could lessen its risk by making its watermarks random. If the pattern changes across every image, an algorithm would have a much tougher time removing it completely.
Source:
https://qz.com/1059765/google-goog-taught-artificial-intelligence-a-whole-new-way-to-steal-pictures-online
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