Disclaimer and Limits

If a page about AI media sounds too certain, pause. Provenance work is useful, but it has limits. This disclaimer exists so those limits are visible before anyone relies on a result in an argument, a classroom, a newsroom, a marketplace listing, or a client conversation. Check AI Media reports signals; it does not hand out final judgments about who or what made a file.

We are not Google

Check AI Media is independent. It is not Google, is not affiliated with Google, and is not endorsed by Google. When this site mentions Google, it is because some AI provenance questions genuinely point to Google technologies or Google-provided tools. That naming should not be read as partnership, certification, approval, or inside access.

SynthID is a Google trademark. We use the name to identify the technology people are asking about and to direct them toward the correct official source. We do not claim ownership of the name, and we do not claim to provide Google’s detector. If you need a SynthID-specific answer, use Google’s official SynthID Detector rather than treating an independent website as a substitute.

This distinction is not a technical footnote. It affects the trust you should place in the result. A general provenance checker may read file metadata or Content Credentials. That is not the same as reading SynthID. A guide that explains what SynthID is may be helpful, but explanation is not detection. The SynthID detector guide goes into that boundary in more detail.

Signals are not verdicts

A result from this site should be understood as a report on evidence available to the check, not a complete origin story. If the file carries Content Credentials, the check may identify that record. If metadata is present, the tool may show fields that help you understand the file. If no relevant signal is found, that does not prove the file is human-made, untouched, or free of AI involvement.

Files are fragile containers for context. A social platform can strip metadata. A screenshot can flatten provenance. An export can remove credentials. A copy can differ from the original. A person can also attach misleading context outside the file. Because of that, a checker should not pretend it can settle every dispute from a single upload or browser read.

Use precise language when discussing a result. “This file carries AI credentials” is a different statement from “This was definitely made by AI.” “No readable signal was found” is a different statement from “This is not AI.” The first pair describes evidence. The second pair overreaches. For a plain-language explanation of how we draw that line, see how we check files.

No watermark removal or concealment

This site does not offer watermark removal, credential stripping, or instructions for hiding provenance. We also advise caution around websites that advertise those services. Some people search for removers because they are frustrated by a visible mark or label, but removing provenance can mislead viewers and damage trust. If a mark or credential is attached to media, it is part of the context people may need to evaluate the file.

There are legitimate reasons to convert formats, resize images, or prepare files for publication. Those tasks should not be confused with erasing evidence. If you need a clean publication workflow, keep the original, document the export, and avoid making claims that the edited copy can no longer support. If a client or editor asks for provenance, provide the source file or the best available credentialed export rather than a stripped copy.

Not legal, forensic, or platform advice

Check AI Media is an informational site and a set of file-checking tools. It is not legal advice. It is not a forensic lab. It is not a platform enforcement system. A result may be useful in a broader review, but it should not be treated as the only basis for a legal claim, employment decision, academic accusation, marketplace dispute, or public allegation.

If the stakes are high, gather more context. Ask for the original file. Look for the publication history. Contact the creator when appropriate. Preserve copies before platforms recompress them. Consider expert review if a decision carries serious consequences. A provenance signal can be important, but it does not remove the need for judgment.

Privacy is a separate issue from authority. The current browser tools are designed so the file stays on your device for those checks, which is explained on the privacy page. That handling choice does not turn the result into an official certification. It simply describes how the current tools process files.

How to rely on this site carefully

The safest way to use Check AI Media is to treat it as a translator for file signals. It can help you see what a file carries and understand why that matters. It can help you avoid common mistakes, such as calling a quiet result proof of human authorship or assuming every watermark question can be answered by a third-party site. It should make your wording more careful, not more dramatic.

If you quote a result, quote the specific finding. If you share a result, include the uncertainty that belongs with it. If you need an official SynthID answer, go to Google. If you need privacy details, read the tool page before choosing a file. If you need a broad starting point, the AI media FAQ collects the recurring questions in one place.

Honest limits are not a weakness of the service. They are the reason the service can be trusted at all. A checker that admits what it cannot know is more useful than one that turns every file into a confident story.