‘Reporters can feed images into Assembler, which has seven “detectors,” each one built to spot a specific type of photo-manipulation technique.’
Google subsidiary Jigsaw has developed a tool to help newsrooms detect deceitful images, reports THE NEW YORK TIMES. Called Assembler, the tool checks tell-tale signs that the image has been post-produced or synthesized. Examples of what it looks for:
- Anomalies in colour patterns
- Sections that have been cut and pasted multiple times
- Uses of more than one camera or imaging model
- Evidence the image was artificially generated
The researchers do not claim that their tool solves the problem of fake imagery. Instead, they hope it can help journalists make judgments, especially about viral images and when under deadline pressure for breaking news. The Times says Jigsaw has no plans to make the tool available to the general public.