The field that causes it
The IPTC Photo Metadata Standard defines a digital source type. Two values matter: trainedAlgorithmicMedia for images created by a trained model, and compositeWithTrainedAlgorithmicMedia for images that mix real capture with generated elements. Editors set the second value when a generative feature touches the picture. Platforms treat both as AI involvement, and Meta moved the label for the second case into the post menu only after complaints.
Tools that write it into real photos
Scroll sideways to see all columns →
| Tool | Feature | What it writes |
|---|---|---|
| Adobe Photoshop | Generative Fill, Generative Expand, Remove tool with generative AI | compositeWithTrainedAlgorithmicMedia in XMP, plus Content Credentials when enabled |
| Adobe Lightroom | Generative Remove, Lens Blur and other Firefly-powered features | IPTC digital source type and optional Content Credentials |
| Google Photos on Pixel | Magic Editor, Magic Eraser, Reimagine | IPTC metadata declaring AI edits, plus SynthID for generated areas |
| Samsung Gallery | Galaxy AI edits such as object removal and generative fill | Metadata flag and a visible watermark on the image |
| Canva | Magic Edit, Magic Expand, background removal with AI | Content Credentials on exports from AI features |
| Capture One, Affinity and others | Various AI-assisted retouching | Increasingly write IPTC or C2PA; check the file |
Fix the label
Check the file
Drop the image into the tool below. It reads the C2PA manifest, IPTC digital source type and generator traces and tells you which signal a platform would act on.
Strip or re-encode
Strip metadata keeps the pixels untouched. Re-encode writes a fresh JPEG or WebP with an optional 3% shrink when you also want new pixels.
Upload the clean copy
Download the cleaned file and post that one. Do not re-open it in an editor that writes Content Credentials, or the record comes back.
Prevent it next time
- In Photoshop, turn off Content Credentials in the export dialog, or export a flattened copy through a tool that does not write XMP.
- Do the last export from an app that writes no provenance, or run the export through this site before uploading.
- Avoid re-opening the clean file in the same editor; a new save writes the record again.
These fields exist so that viewers can tell what was changed. Removing them from a photo where the AI edit was cosmetic is reasonable. Removing them from an image where the AI change alters what the photo depicts is a different matter.
Questions people ask
Does cropping or color correction trigger the label?
No. Conventional edits do not set the AI source type. Only generative features that add or replace pixels with model output do.
Can I keep the ICC profile and rotation when I strip the metadata?
Yes. The lossless strip preserves the color profile and rebuilds a minimal EXIF block holding only the orientation flag.
Will Lightroom mobile or the phone gallery show me the field?
Rarely. Use the metadata viewer to see the exact XMP fields that were written.