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

OpenAI seems to be making 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 present in improvement, might apply watermarks to all generated pictures, notably for customers on the free tier. Nevertheless, indications recommend that paid customers may very well be given the choice to save lots of 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 suggests 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 choice 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 doubtless that entry shall be restricted to subscribers as soon as the characteristic is formally launched.

There’s nonetheless some uncertainty about how the watermarking system shall be applied. One chance is that all customers will see watermarked pictures by default, with solely paid customers in a position to take away the watermark. One other state of affairs might contain permitting all customers to save lots of unwatermarked pictures, however by a extra sophisticated course of that daunts widespread informal use. This technique might 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 just isn’t assured. APK teardowns supply insights into options that builders are experimenting with, however they don’t verify remaining implementation.

OpenAI continues to experiment with a variety of latest options for ChatGPT, together with Research Collectively modes, Picture Kinds, and subscription modifications like a potential annual plan. The watermarking characteristic provides to this record 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.