Meta plans AI-generated content labelling in boost for reality

Meta will soon begin to label Artificial Intelligence-generated content on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads.

This is in a bid to help users differentiate between human and AI-generate content, Nick Clegg, President, Global Affairs, Meta noted. “So, it is important that we help people know when photorealistic content they’re seeing has been created using AI.

“We do that by applying Imagined with AI labels to photorealistic images created using our Meta AI feature, but we want to be able to do this with content created with other companies’ tools too,” he said.

The firm will start adding labels to users’ posts in the coming months. Clegg further stated that the update is part of a broader effort to manage AI-generated content uploaded to its platforms better. It highlighted that it has been working with industry partners to align on common technical standards that signal when a piece of content has been created using AI.

“Being able to detect these signals will make it possible for us to label AI-generated images that users post to Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. We’re building this capability now, and in the coming months, we’ll start applying labels in all languages supported by each app,” the president stated.

He noted that it would implement its initiative through the next year, especially with some important elections set to take place around the world.

Clegg noted that if the firm determines that a digitally created or altered image, video or audio content has a high risk of materially deceiving the public on a matter of importance, it may add a more prominent label if appropriate, so people have more information and context.

He added, “This approach represents the cutting edge of what’s technically possible right now. But it’s not yet possible to identify all AI-generated content, and there are ways that people can strip out invisible markers. So, we are pursuing a range of options.

“We’re working hard to develop classifiers that can help us to automatically detect AI-generated content, even if the content lacks invisible markers. At the same time, we’re looking for ways to make it more difficult to remove or alter invisible watermarks.”

The initiative will also see the company build automated software tools for detecting such content. The company’s efforts to detect AI-generated content encompass not only images but also audio and video files.