Users on social media have discovered a controversial use case for Googles new Gemini AI model: removing watermarks from images, including from images published by Getty Images and other well-known stock media outfits.Last week, Google expanded access to its Gemini 2.0 Flash models image generation feature, which lets the model natively generate and edit image content. Its a powerful capability, by all accounts. But it also appears to have few guardrails. Gemini 2.0 Flash will uncomplainingly create images depicting celebrities and copyrighted characters, and as alluded to earlier remove watermarks from existing photos.As several X and Reddit users noted, Gemini 2.0 Flash wont just remove watermarks, but attempt to fill in any gaps created by a watermarks deletion. Other AI-powered tools do this, too, but Gemini 2.0 Flash seems to be exceptionally skilled at it and free to use.To be clear, Gemini 2.0 Flashs image generation feature is labeled as experimental and not for production use at the moment, and is only available in Googles developer-facing tools like AI Studio. The model also isnt a perfect watermark remover. Gemini 2.0 Flash appears to struggle with certain semi-transparent watermarks and watermarks that canvas large portions of images.Still, some copyright holders will surely take issue with Gemini 2.0 Flashs lack of usage restrictions. Models including Anthropics Claude 3.7 Sonnet and OpenAIs GPT-4o explicitly refuse to remove watermarks; Claude calls removing a watermark from an image unethical and potentially illegal.Removing a watermark without the original owners consent is considered illegal under U.S. copyright law (according to law firms like this one)outside of rare exceptions.Google didnt immediately respond to a request for comment sent outside of normal business hours.