A new proposal calls on social media and AI companies to adopt strict verification, but the company hasn’t committed to following its own recommendations.

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Microsoft's AI safety research team has published a blueprint for verifying online content authenticity, evaluating 60 combinations of provenance tracking, watermarking, and digital fingerprinting methods. The proposal recommends technical standards for AI companies and social media platforms to distinguish real from AI-generated content. However, Microsoft's chief scientific officer declined to commit to implementing these recommendations across Microsoft's own platforms, including Copilot, Azure, LinkedIn, and its OpenAI stake. Experts note the approach is promising but limited—it can reveal manipulation but not determine factual accuracy, and research shows people are often swayed by AI content even when labeled as fake. Industry adoption faces headwinds from engagement-driven business models, with an audit finding only 30% of AI-generated test posts were correctly labeled across major platforms. The California AI Transparency Act represents a near-term test, though enforcement faces challenges from federal executive orders targeting state AI regulations.

Microsoft has a new plan to prove what’s real and what’s AI online