Adobe is expanding its Content Credentials initiative to make it easier for creators to receive proper attribution, differentiate between AI-generated content and human-made work, and protect their digital assets. A new, free web app will allow users to attach creator information to images, videos, and audio files, and even opt out of generative AI models — if supported by the AI developers.
The new Content Authenticity web app will streamline the process of applying attribution data, which can include the creator’s name, website, and social media links, to digital content. This addresses the challenge creators face when trying to opt their work out of AI training across various platforms. Instead of individually submitting requests, this centralized tool will make it easier to manage those protections en masse.
This web app builds on Adobe’s existing Content Credentials platform, which embeds metadata into digital files to display ownership details and clarify if AI tools were used. Integrated with Adobe’s Firefly AI, Photoshop, Lightroom, and other Creative Cloud apps, this hub will now allow users to add credentials to any digital content, not just those made using Adobe software.
A notable feature of the web app is its ability to set AI preferences that protect content from being used in or training generative AI models. While Adobe’s own models only utilize licensed or public domain content, these protections are designed for broader application. Currently, support is limited to Spawning, the company behind the “Have I Been Trained?” tool, but Adobe is actively working to gain industry-wide support from other AI developers, including companies like OpenAI and Google, which already back Content Credentials.
The security of these credentials will be strengthened by digital fingerprinting, invisible watermarking, and cryptographic metadata. This means even if someone tries to bypass these protections with screenshots or other methods, the credentials can be restored. While not entirely foolproof, this system increases the difficulty for those attempting to remove attribution.
Additionally, Adobe is introducing tools to check for Content Credentials on platforms that don’t prominently display them. The web app includes an inspection tool for recovering and showing credential data and editing history where available. A Chrome extension launching in beta will also let users inspect content directly from web pages.
The Content Authenticity web app will launch in public beta in early 2025, requiring a free Adobe account but no subscription. This update addresses long-standing concerns from creatives about accessibility and content security, potentially rebuilding some of the trust Adobe has lost over its subscription models and AI adoption. However, widespread success depends on how many AI and tech companies support Adobe’s voluntary initiative.
