ChatGPT Might Add Watermarks To AI Photos However Paid Customers Might Bypass It

OpenAI seems to be getting ready to introduce watermarks on AI-generated pictures in ChatGPT, based mostly on findings from an APK teardown of the app’s newest beta model (v1.2025.196). The characteristic, at the moment in improvement, might apply watermarks to all generated pictures, notably for customers on the free tier. Nonetheless, indications recommend that paid customers might be given the choice to avoid wasting pictures with out the watermark.

The APK teardown — a course of the place in-development app code is examined for unreleased options — revealed a string labeled “image-gen-watermark-for-free,” which means that watermarking could also be restricted to free accounts. This aligns with an earlier leak from April 2025, when a watermark characteristic labeled “ImageGen” was first noticed by a person on X (previously Twitter).

Screenshots from the activated characteristic shared by AndroidAuthority present the usual picture interplay choices — Edit, Choose, Save, and Share — together with a new possibility within the three-dot menu: “Save with out watermark.” Whereas this characteristic was momentarily enabled even for a free-tier account throughout testing, it’s seemingly that entry can be restricted to subscribers as soon as the characteristic is formally launched.

There’s nonetheless some uncertainty about how the watermarking system can be carried out. One risk is that all customers will see watermarked pictures by default, with solely paid customers in a position to take away the watermark. One other situation may contain permitting all customers to avoid wasting unwatermarked pictures, however by means of a extra sophisticated course of that daunts widespread informal use. This technique may assist OpenAI steadiness transparency and branding with person flexibility.

It’s essential to notice that this watermarking characteristic has not been formally introduced by OpenAI, and its inclusion within the remaining launch shouldn’t be assured. APK teardowns provide insights into options that builders are experimenting with, however they don’t affirm remaining implementation.

OpenAI continues to experiment with a spread of recent options for ChatGPT, together with Research Collectively modes, Picture Types, and subscription modifications like a potential annual plan. The watermarking characteristic provides to this checklist of in-progress enhancements, doubtlessly signaling a broader effort to handle the traceability and use of AI-generated content material.

Till OpenAI makes an official assertion, these findings stay speculative. Additional updates are anticipated as improvement progresses.

Filed in Cellphones >Robots. Learn extra about AI (Artificial Intelligence), ChatGPT and OpenAI.