ChatGPT Could Add Watermarks To AI Photographs However Paid Customers May Bypass It

OpenAI seems to be getting ready to introduce watermarks on AI-generated photographs in ChatGPT, based mostly on findings from an APK teardown of the app’s newest beta model (v1.2025.196). The function, at the moment in improvement, could apply watermarks to all generated photographs, significantly for customers on the free tier. Nevertheless, indications recommend that paid customers may very well be given the choice to avoid wasting photographs 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 function labeled “ImageGen” was first noticed by a person on X (previously Twitter).

Screenshots from the activated function 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 function was momentarily enabled even for a free-tier account throughout testing, it’s probably that entry might be restricted to subscribers as soon as the function is formally launched.

There may be nonetheless some uncertainty about how the watermarking system might be carried out. One chance is that all customers will see watermarked photographs by default, with solely paid customers capable of take away the watermark. One other state of affairs might contain permitting all customers to avoid wasting unwatermarked photographs, however by means of 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 function has not been formally introduced by OpenAI, and its inclusion within the last launch will not be assured. APK teardowns provide insights into options that builders are experimenting with, however they don’t verify last implementation.

OpenAI continues to experiment with a variety of latest options for ChatGPT, together with Examine Collectively modes, Picture Types, and subscription modifications like a potential annual plan. The watermarking function provides to this record of in-progress enhancements, probably 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.