Camera Giants unite against deepfakes

Canon, Nikon, and Sony, industry titans in the camera sector, are joining forces to combat the rise of fake images. In response to the surge in manipulated photographs circulating in 2023, the trio is gearing up to introduce cuttingedge technology that simplifies the authentication of a photo’s origins.

In the ongoing battle against deepfakes, the Japanese camera manufacturers are set to enable photographers to embed digital signatures directly within the camera. These signatures, featuring details such as the photographer’s name, date, time, and location of the image, can be verified using a new web-based application called Verify. Launched by a global alliance comprising media outlets, camera makers, and tech companies, Verify aims to weed out AI-generated or altered images, flagging them as having “no content credentials.”

Anticipated to be available this year, Sony leads the charge by committing to roll out firmware updates for three of its professional-level mirrorless cameras by the spring of 2024.

Canon follows suit, planning to incorporate this technology into some of its pro-level bodies later in the year, possibly in a new 2024 model. Canon is also developing its application capable of distinguishing between human-taken and AIgenerated images.

As tech giants like Google and Intel explore ways to combat fake photos, the collaborative effort of Canon, Nikon, and Sony signifies a positive stride by incorporating in-camera technology to combat the proliferation of manipulated imagery.