California, EU Mandate AI Tags on Animal Images as 175 Photojournalists Face Rising Distrust
Updated
Updated · WIRED · Aug 26
California, EU Mandate AI Tags on Animal Images as 175 Photojournalists Face Rising Distrust
1 articles · Updated · WIRED · Aug 26
Summary
California and the EU now require major AI image generators to embed invisible tags in AI-made pictures and videos, with social platforms expected to use them for public labels.
The rules respond to a surge of deepfake animal content that has blurred real and fake online, fueling scams, undermining rescue and welfare appeals, and forcing viewers to inspect images for glitches.
One Los Angeles pet owner said scammers sent AI-made photos of her missing cat Brooklyn and demanded money; 4 months later, the cat is still missing, and she says new deepfakes arrive about once a month.
We Animals, a nonprofit that publishes work from 175 photojournalists, says it is being accused of using AI despite banning it, and plans to add provenance data and more behind-the-scenes verification.
Verification tools from ChatGPT, Gemini and Meta AI can flag some synthetic images, but limited use and extra steps mean trust may depend on labels and checks built directly into everyday apps.