Sony is developing “in-camera authenticity technology” to battle “fake and manipulated images”.
The tech giant has opened up on plans to fight misinformation with generative AI threatening to reduce the amount of trust people have in official news sources.
Now, new Sony cameras will feature a digital signature feature allowing them to create a “birth certificate for images”.
In a press release, the company said: “Sony’s authenticity technology provides a machine-based digital signature, removing the opportunity for undetected manipulation at the start.
“The digital signature is made inside the camera at the moment of capture in the hardware chipset.
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“This security feature is aimed at professionals wanting to safeguard the authenticity of their content and provides an extra layer of security to aid news agencies in their fight against falsified imagery.”
Neal Manowitz, president and COO of Sony Electronics, noted while generative AI “brings new possibilities for creative expression”, there are risks when it comes to “altered or manipulated imagery in journalism”.
Manowitz added: “The dissemination of false information and images has real world social impact that brings harm not only to our photojournalist and news agency partners, but to society as a whole.
“We care deeply about this challenge and are committed to using our resources to help solve it.
The upgrade is set to launch in Spring 2024 with a global firmware upgrade for the Alpha 9 III, Alpha 1 and Alpha 7S III devices.