Google opens SynthID detector: Here’s how it can spot AI-generated media

Google has reportedly opened its SynthID Detector to everyone so that the free website can now check whether an image, video or audio file has Google’s SynthID watermark-an algorithmic signature tool available globally from Wednesday, as Google DeepMind’s Pushmeet Kohli wrote in a company blog post.

According to Google, it flags AI-generated media from Google and its partners OpenAI, Nvidia, and Kakao. The company said that it rolled out a pilot version of the detector in May 2025 for journalists, media professionals and researchers. Notably, the company has watermarked more than 180 billion images and videos with SynthID since 2023.

SynthID flagged content from Google’s Gemini, Imagen, Lyria and Veo models, with running its own verification page which checks images and video for SynthID. The detector also identifies the SynthID watermark; because other companies use different standards, it cannot detect all AI-generated content.

Due to a lack of industry-wide standards fails to capture all AI-generated content or content only edited with it as Google’s sample result says the media was edited with Google AI.

Ruqia Shahid is a reporter specialising in science, focusing on discoveries, research developments, and technological advancements. She translates complex scientific concepts into clear, engaging stories, helping readers understand the latest innovations and their real-world impact through accurate, accessible, and insight-driven reporting.