Users on social media have uncovered a controversial use case for Google’s new Gemini 2.0 Flash model, which appears capable of removing watermarks from images—often from prominent sources such as Getty Images and other major stock media providers.
Last week, Google expanded access to Gemini 2.0 Flash’s image generation feature, which not only creates images from scratch but also allows for native editing of existing image content. While the feature is labeled “experimental” and “not for production use,” it has quickly drawn attention for its ability to remove watermarks by intelligently filling in the gaps left behind. Users on platforms like X and Reddit have demonstrated that the model can erase watermarks, effectively reconstructing the underlying image.
Despite similar functionalities available in other AI-powered tools, Gemini 2.0 Flash appears to perform exceptionally well at this task—and notably, it is free to use via Google’s developer-facing tools such as AI Studio. However, the model is not without limitations; it struggles with semi-transparent watermarks and those that cover large portions of an image.
The ease with which Gemini 2.0 Flash can remove watermarks has raised concerns among copyright holders. Unlike Anthropic’s Claude 3.7 Sonnet or OpenAI’s GPT-4o, which explicitly refuse to remove watermarks and warn that doing so is “unethical and potentially illegal,” Google’s Gemini model currently lacks strict usage restrictions in this area.
As the debate over digital content protection continues, copyright advocates warn that unrestricted access to such powerful editing capabilities may lead to increased infringement and misuse of copyrighted material, further complicating the legal landscape for content creators. Meanwhile, developers and users are left to navigate the fine line between innovation and ethical use of emerging AI technologies.
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A coalition of women’s rights organisations, technology watchdogs and progressive campaigners is urging Apple and Google, owned by Alphabet, to remove the social media platform X and its associated chatbot, Grok, from their app stores.
Apple will use Google’s Gemini artificial intelligence (AI) models for its revamped Siri voice assistant later this year, in a multi-year deal that strengthens the tech giants’ partnership and boosts Alphabet’s position in the race against OpenAI.
Chinese AI startup DeepSeek has introduced its newest model, DeepSeek-V3.2-Speciale, claiming it can perform some tasks as well as the latest models from Google DeepMind and OpenAI.
Two of the world’s fiercest technology rivals have announced a surprise collaboration, aiming to shore up the stability of the global internet infrastructure following a series of costly disruptions.
Cuba’s Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío has denied that Havana and Washington have entered formal negotiations, countering recent assertions by U.S. President Donald Trump, while saying the island is open to dialogue under certain conditions.
Talks with the U.S. should be pursued to secure national interests as long as "threats and unreasonable expectations" are avoided, President Masoud Pezeshkian posted on X on Tuesday (3 February).
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia on Tuesday (3 February) of exploiting a U.S.-backed energy ceasefire to stockpile weapons and launch large-scale drone and missile attacks on Ukraine ahead of peace talks.
Rivers and reservoirs across Spain and Portugal were on the verge of overflowing on Wednesday as a new weather front pounded the Iberian peninsula, compounding damage from last week's Storm Kristin.
Paris prosecutors have summoned X chairman Elon Musk and former chief executive Linda Yaccarino for questioning in April as part of their probe into the X social media network, they said on Tuesday.
Israeli tank shelling and airstrikes killed 24 Palestinians including seven children in Gaza on Wednesday (4 February), health officials said, the latest violence to undermine the nearly four-month-old ceasefire.
Another shipment of grain was sent to Armenia via transit through Azerbaijani territory on 4 February. The latest delivery consisted of eight wagons carrying 560 tonnes of grain dispatched from Azerbaijan to Armenia.
Azerbaijan and Armenia used a high-profile international platform in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday to underline growing trade ties, expanding cooperation and what both leaders described as an irreversible turn towards peace after decades of conflict.
Afghan officials and international partners met in Kabul on Wednesday (4 February) for the fourth meeting of the Doha Process Working Group on Counter-Narcotics, with officials citing a reduction in poppy cultivation to “nearly zero” as efforts to curb drug production and trafficking were reviewed.
Uzbekistan is accelerating plans to expand uranium production and deepen international nuclear cooperation, positioning the sector as a pillar of long-term industrial growth and resource security.
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