Microsoft's AI Tools Hide Invisible Watermark in AI-Made Images
A developer has discovered that Microsoft's AI image tools in Paint and Photos embed an invisible watermark on AI-made images. The visible Copilot logo already shows that Microsoft marks AI-created pictures, but a second form of labeling is written into the image data itself.
The developer, Xusheng Li, found this by examining Windows 11's Paint app and identifying several local model files, including an ONNX-style model file and three encrypted variants. He noted that Paint does more than alter pixels - it also attaches C2PA Content Credentials to the saved file.
Likewise, Microsoft Photos uses the same GUID watermarking method with its AI tools. This raises concerns about transparency in AI-generated content and the potential for prompts being sent to Microsoft servers for moderation even when image generation appears local.