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Google has expanded access to its SynthID Detector, allowing people worldwide to check images, videos and audio files for signs that they were generated using artificial intelligence (AI).
Pushmeet Kohli, vice president of Science aznd Strategic Initiatives at Google DeepMind, announced the development in a blog post. The tool, previously available in an early version to media professionals, is now available globally in English.
It allows users to check whether images, videos and audio contain SynthID watermarks in supported AI-generated content from Google and partners including OpenAI, NVIDIA and Kakao. Apple is expected to join soon.
The expansion comes as technology companies develop tools to give users more context about the origins of digital content as generative AI becomes more widely used.
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Google expands AI content verification
Google said the expanded access is intended to help people make informed decisions about the media they encounter online.
- “As AI tools become better and easier to use, having clear context about the content you encounter online helps you make informed decisions about what to trust,” Pushmeet Kohli, vice president of Science and Strategic Initiatives at Google DeepMind, said.
Kohli said Google had been using SynthID to help identify AI-generated media since introducing the technology in 2023.
- “To date, we’ve watermarked over 180 billion images and videos, along with 240,000 years of audio content,” he said.
SynthID embeds imperceptible watermarks in supported AI-generated images, videos and audio. The detector allows users to check whether a file contains a SynthID watermark.
- “With the new SynthID Detector, anyone can easily check if an image, video, or audio file was made with AI from Google or our partners, including OpenAI, NVIDIA, Kakao, and soon, Apple,” Kohli said.
Google introduced an early version of the detector last year to help media professionals verify AI-generated content. The latest expansion makes the tool available to the wider public.
The detector complements verification features in Google Search, the Gemini app and Chrome, which Google said collectively handle more than one million requests daily.
AI-generated content raises fraud concerns in Nigeria
The expansion of Google’s verification tool comes amid growing concerns over the use of synthetic media to impersonate individuals, spread misleading information and facilitate online fraud.
In Nigeria, the risks have become particularly visible in financial scams involving fabricated videos of public figures, while regulators and technology companies are exploring ways to identify manipulated content and protect individuals from its misuse.
- Nairametrics in May 2026 disclaimed fake AI-generated videos portraying its founder, Ugo Obi-Chukwu, as promoting stock investment groups. Nairametrics said the videos were created by fraudsters seeking to deceive investors into joining dubious investment schemes.
- In March 2026, the Nigeria Data Protection Commission joined 60 other data protection authorities in endorsing a joint statement on AI-generated imagery and privacy, reflecting international concerns about AI systems capable of producing realistic images and videos of identifiable individuals.
- Nairametrics reported in September 2025 that the Securities and Exchange Commission had warned about AI-manipulated videos of politicians, celebrities and television hosts being used to promote fraudulent investment schemes on social media.
Google’s expanded detector gives users a way to check supported images, videos and audio for SynthID watermarks. However, it is not a universal detection system, and a file without a detectable watermark should not automatically be treated as authentic.
