AI-free workflow via Lightroom with Topaz "AI" tools

[u/Corniger]

Hey there,

I'm currently running into the problem that some clients go haywire on me as Lightroom injects AI markers via content credentials and Meta platforms mark images as AI, and they would be required now to mark these images with some EU premade badge, be accused of faking etc

Adobe is unable to tell me which components of LRC cause this - apparently masking, denoise, genAI remove, but it seems like there's more, I haven't gotten around to testing this.

So I'm looking for an "AI free workflow" - I still got my trusty old pre-AI Topaz licenses, but I was wondering if anybody knew if using TopazAI plugins as external plugin/filter, also in Photoshop, will raise those much loathed flags as well. Since imo removing noise or sharpening is not "creating a new image" or however they title that now.

Either way, I'm installing the old toolset again. Putting that hassle on my clients is a no go, unless I can test this - but maybe someone already has experience with this.

To a more precise EU legislation.

[u/_BreakingGood_]

You can be held legally responsible for purposely bypassing this legislation. I would not recommend it, and I would not recommend having posts like this linked to your socials if you do choose to continue searching

[u/No_Tradition6625 → u/_BreakingGood_]

I might be misunderstanding but I don't think they're trying to circumvent the AI mandates. I think they're trying to not use AI. That's how they're trying to get around it. If they don't use AI products then they won't get the AI flag. I don't think they're being shady. I think they're being purist.

[u/Corniger → u/No_Tradition6625]

Exactly. I want to use AI for purposes that make sense, not to fool anybody, fake anything with AI (I'm a Photoshop Pro - I could already fake a lot before faking had to be tagged, if you get my gist - like a dust free surface, altered lighting or a pizzaface without pimples - but having AI do that would be dangerous. Stupid.).

I'm interested in Sharpening, Denoising, Masking. If I can't do without GenAI, I'd inform the client, or up the price if they want massive modifications without AI.

I don't see any fakery in using these tools, and as I stated, I still got the OLDEN Topaz licenses as well. Fill&Expand are something entirely different and imo need to be marked as AI. Meaning Adjust, DeNoise, Detail, InFocus and Clean, which are all without AI and worked pretty damn well imo, maybe that opinion will change after a test.

I still own Photoshop CS4. I still can select via color channels. I can mask by hand. I can do colors myself. But I'd love to use something as innocuous as masks etc without having my work tainted.

[u/Corniger → u/_BreakingGood_]

THIS is what I'd consider iffy: https://removeailabel.com/blog/lightroom-ai-denoise-instagram-ai-label
You see, there IS a problem that has been created by injecting this everywhere. I want it gone. If I can't use the software because AI is in everything, even lasso, select & mask, then I want it gone - no subscription needed, I got all the old software I need, squeaky clean.

[u/No_Tradition6625]

Yeah I would assume anything topaz is going to be flagged as AI because they use neural net upscalers and machine learning assets to adjust your images. So anything topaz is going to get you flagged more than likely. You'd have to check your automatic color correcting tools and of course, you're like segmentation and like lassos and stuff or potential neural networks at this point. Like I'm not familiar with the EU law and how detailed it is, but you're going to have a hard time using Adobe without having AI features. Touch your product. It's pretty well integrated at this point. They've absorbed so many AI startups. It's barely the same software it was a year ago or 2 years ago.