Microsoft will ID its AI art with a hidden watermark

Artists concerned about others passing off AI-generated art as their own will now be able to breathe a bit easier: Microsoft has agreed to sign all AI art that its apps generate with a cryptographic watermark indicating it was made with an algorithm. The Coalition for Content Provenance and Authority (C2PA) began work in 2021 to develop an open standard for indicating the origin of digital images, and whether they were authentic or AI-generated. The issue was thrust into the spotlight in March, when AI-generated images of the Pope in a stylish puffy jacket went viral, and AI-art generator Midjourney clamped down to prevent even more. Microsoft, a founding member of the C2PA, will announce at its Microsoft Build developer conference this week that it will cryptographically sign AI-generated images from Bing Image Creator and Microsoft Designer. Images made with Bing Image Creator already include a small "b" for the Bing logo in the bottom right-hand corner.