Sep 15, 2025

Watermarking Alone is Not a Sufficient Security Safeguard, Hany Farid Says

From International Business Times

Woman Warns of Google Gemini Saree Trend After AI Spots Detail She Never Uploaded

By Vinay Patel

In the age of viral photo trends and ever-evolving AI, uploading a personal picture for a fun transformation seems completely harmless. 

But for one woman, a recent encounter with the Google Gemini Nano Banana AI Saree trend proved to be a genuinely chilling experience, raising a crucial question for all of us: what other details can AI uncover from your images? 

Her post immediately sparked a wide range of reactions. While several people voiced safety concerns, others dismissed it as normal or suggested she was only doing it to gain views... 

Critics also warn that watermarks are simple to fake or remove. This view is shared by experts such as Hany Farid, a UC Berkeley professor, who stated: 'Nobody thinks watermarking alone will be sufficient.’

 Meanwhile, Ben Colman, CEO of Reality Defender, added that in real-world scenarios, the applications often 'fail from the onset'. To combat convincing deepfakes effectively, experts believe, watermarking should be combined with other technologies...

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Hany Farid is a professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Sciences and the School of Information at UC Berkeley. 

Last updated: September 30, 2025