Adobe Credentials AI checking

DD_Crash

DD_Crash

DD_Crash

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Has this happened at any clubs? Post from a forum

During a recent inter camera club competition, the other Camera Club used Adobe Credentials to check the competition images. Three images were then dismissed from the comp, because the checking software claimed that the images were AI generated.
Using ‘AI technicalities’, so as to dismiss your rival’s best images, seems like an effective strategy to both cheat during, and to then win club competitions. So, I would expect that other Camera Clubs will soon be buying and/or using Adobe’s Credential checking software.

It appears that the Author, who was labelled as an ‘AI Cheat’, used the AI cloning tools inside of Photoshop, to remove dust spots, and that this was sufficient to trigger Adobes AI Credentials Software.

Does anyone know how Adobe’s Credentials software works?

–Does it only affect images produced inside of Adobe’s Software? (In which case not using Adobe’s products seems like the best course of action).

–Will it flag up images produced inside of rival software, such as ON1’s products?

–Is Adobe’s software likely to label images, where ON1’s dust spot removal tools have been used, as ‘AI Fakes’ ?

–Is there any way to set up PR 2025, so as to make sure that only the Non-AI cloning tools are available for use?

(N.B., a senior Committee Member of my Camera Club, (who is a devout Photoshop Fan Boy), has already told me, that because Photo Raw uses AI, I should not be using ON1’s products to post process my images. Also, he says that the Committee is ‘investigating the use of non-Adobe software’… and that he thinks that Non-Adobe software should be prohibited.
 
I was under the impression it was still in beta? In fact, I just checked to confirm this. Nevertheless, I use it to show I haven't used AI and to embed my content credentials in my work.

It appears that the Author, who was labelled as an ‘AI Cheat’, used the AI cloning tools inside of Photoshop, to remove dust spots, and that this was sufficient to trigger Adobes AI Credentials Software.
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You, or rather he doesn't have to use AI to remove dust spots.
 
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For me the issue is whether it works on other image apps e.g. Affinity Photo, Capture 1, On1, Luminar etc. If it doesnt then I hope that the photographic associations dont make it compulsory to use Adobe. It does seem a bit off that Adobe who have been pushing AI for a few years now offer a means of checking if AI has been used on an image. If our club goes down this route I am off.
 
My quick reading around about it would suggest that adobe products can tag information into the metadata of a file ( including thing like what tools (ai generation etc) have been used in the creation of the file) and they also can save information into the Adobe cloud about the file. When you check an image, the metadata is compared against the cloud data, from which it can somehow identify whether AI was used.

That would imply that it would only be able to determine against Adobe product generated images to me.

And frankly, if a photoclub expected me to pony-up for Adobe subscriptions, I'd walk elsewhere.
 
Thats my take, I do hope that PAGB dont make it compulsory for salons etc but our club does have an Adobe bias.
 
Thing is, even Adobe are ever-creeping down the AI route. Whilst the spot healing doesn't currently use ai, whats to say it wont in the future as a means to do a better healing result ... who knows.

–Is there any way to set up PR 2025, so as to make sure that only the Non-AI cloning tools are available for use?
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I wonder if you could take an original image, edit using no AI, save out, and then do some AI editing on it and save out, then compare the meta data to see if there is anything added in which flags that AI was used ? ( I have no idea ... you'd likely need to deep-dive the meta data )
 
Just had another look at this on my account and Content Credentials currently allows you to switch your Producer edits, connect your account and edits and activity off. The same as "Export As". The latter having the benefit to streamline the operation should you wish to enable all functions to the cloud etc.

It's anybody's guess as to whether competitions and camera clubs will choose to use it?

Some of the competitions I have entered allow basic modification such as dust removal, cropping, hue and exposure alterations as long as you can provide a .raw. I wouldn't expect anything to change soon.

You've just reminded me, Thomas Heaton did a top ten of disqualified photos from competitions on YouTube which is quite an interesting watch:

 
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Thanks, I will watch that.
Donnie Fisher said:
Thing is, even Adobe are ever-creeping down the AI route. Whilst the spot healing doesn't currently use ai, whats to say it wont in the future as a means to do a better healing result ... who knows.



I wonder if you could take an original image, edit using no AI, save out, and then do some AI editing on it and save out, then compare the meta data to see if there is anything added in which flags that AI was used ? ( I have no idea ... you'd likely need to deep-dive the meta data )
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On1photoRAW 2025 gives options with healing tools not to use AI but the sidecar file which On1 produces cant be read by Adobe.
 
just ban all editing, photos shouldn't be edited anyway.
it should be only what was captured that moment in time as it was.
 
arknor said:
just ban all editing, photos shouldn't be edited anyway.
it should be only what was captured that moment in time as it was.
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I don’t personally use A.I. tools or remove/manipulate photos in a meaningful way but grading and controlling the feel of the image is one of the most enjoyable parts of the process for me.
 
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I enjoy the editing part of photography and I find that using AI to help masking useful. I think that a lot of camera club members were pleased when Adobe introduce "content aware" cloning but it has moved on a lot since then.
 
I think there's a lot to be said for just getting shot right in camera...particularly with the capabilities of modern cameras.....no excuses really.

For 'Photography' competitions I would say any editing is too much.

Have an editing competition if you want to compete for who's best at Photoshop :p
 
mid_gen said:
I think there's a lot to be said for just getting shot right in camera...particularly with the capabilities of modern cameras.....no excuses really.

For 'Photography' competitions I would say any editing is too much.

Have an editing competition if you want to compete for who's best at Photoshop :p
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What does "right in camera" mean in practice?
 
Cameras (which are in effect computers with a sensor) can do a lot in camera black & white, HDR, even "film effect" and colours can change due to lighting. What actually is the correct colour?
 
mid_gen said:
You just asked me to draw a line somewhere :confused:

Who was talking about analogue photography?
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Am I not allowed to question where you drew the line? There's all sorts of "editing" I can do in camera which would apply to the JPG but not the raw. If a competition asks for a raw file to "prove" the JPG is legitimate, they would look very different because a basic profile applied to the raw will be far removed from the in camera edited JPG. These edits are all global and functionally similar to using the basic sliders and colour tools in Lightroom. With the line there the JPG out of camera would be fine despite being very different to the raw with the "standard" profile applied, but a JPG exported from Lightroom using the camera matching standard colour profile and lens corrections would not be allowed even though visually it would look less "edited".

I am using analogue photography as an analogy. A raw file is somewhat comparable to exposed film - it is not a final image on its own and what the final image looks like will depend on the processing. Using the same logic there is no true "out of camera" photo with film unless its instant so I am curious where a similar line is drawn there.
 
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