As the ways people use and interact with images online continue to evolve, a new experimental AI tool named Backstory has emerged to help users explore the context and origin of images. Last year, we published a paper on determining trustworthiness through context and provenance, highlighting how better assessment tools can empower people to make informed decisions. To support this goal, we are developing easy-to-use provenance tools and in-product context features, along with investing in areas like information literacy.
Backstory investigates whether an image is AI-generated, when and where it has been used online, and if it has been digitally altered, based on an image and a written prompt. The tool quickly equips users with helpful information, responds to further prompts, and describes the usage of the image and how its story may have changed over time. Additionally, Backstory generates easy-to-read reports of its findings.
Assessing Trustworthiness
Built using Gemini, Backstory utilizes various detection technologies to identify whether an image is real or generated by AI. It combines this with a more holistic assessment of the image's context, surfacing how the image has been used online and other information like metadata to answer the user's written prompt. In most cases, determining if an image is AI-generated is not the same as understanding its trustworthiness. For example, an image may not be AI-generated but could have been altered or presented out of context, leading to new, sometimes misleading information. Conversely, an AI-generated image might support an authentic, creative, or factual narrative.
A Holistic Approach
It is crucial for industry, civil society, governments, academia, and users to collaborate in developing tools and programs necessary for maintaining the integrity of our information ecosystem. As we continue research and development for Backstory, we are working closely with trusted testers, including content creators and expert information practitioners, who manage, organize, and disseminate high-quality information. Throughout the year, we will gather feedback on examples, user experiences, and more to improve our technology and make it more helpful.
Blogger's Review: The launch of Backstory represents a significant advancement in verifying information authenticity, especially in today's era of information overload. By combining AI technology with context analysis, it provides users with a more comprehensive tool for understanding images. However, balancing the line between AI-generated content and genuine information remains a challenge that requires collective exploration by society.