Nigerians can now verify whether suspicious images, videos, or audio clips circulating online were produced by artificial intelligence (AI), after Google opened its SynthID Detector to the public just three months before the country's 2027 general elections.

The tool enables users to upload an image, video, or audio file and determine whether it contains an invisible watermark associated with AI-generated content from Google and its participating partners.

The rollout could carry particular weight as Nigeria approaches its next election cycle. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has scheduled the presidential and National Assembly elections for Feb. 20, 2027, with governorship and State House of Assembly polls to follow on March 6.

During election campaigns, images, videos, and audio recordings are frequently used to support claims about candidates, political parties, or events. AI tools also make it easier to produce convincing synthetic media that an ordinary internet user may struggle to tell apart from genuine material.

Google announced the public expansion of the SynthID Detector on Oct. 7 in a post on its official blog, stating that the tool is now available globally in English.

How SynthID Works

SynthID embeds an invisible watermark within AI-generated media in effect, a hidden label that is imperceptible when viewing an image, watching a video, or listening to an audio clip, yet can be identified by compatible detection technology.

According to Google, it has watermarked more than 180 billion images and videos to date, along with 240,000 years' worth of audio content.

Google first launched SynthID in 2023 and rolled out an early version of the detector last year for media professionals. It is now extending access to the general public.

The company said the detector can identify content produced with its own AI systems as well as those of partners including OpenAI, NVIDIA, and Kakao, with Apple expected to join the lineup. That lineup matters for reach: because the detector can only flag content carrying a compatible watermark, each additional provider that adopts SynthID broadens the range of synthetic media it is able to recognize.

The blog announcement does not state that users need a Google, Apple, or OpenAI account to use the detector. Google's accompanying communication, however, notes that access is available with an account from any of the three providers.

What the Detector Cannot Tell You

SynthID is not a universal AI detector. It is built to recognize compatible watermarks, which means content generated by an AI system that does not use SynthID — or a similar compatible watermark — may go undetected. A file that returns no SynthID result therefore does not automatically prove it was made by a human.

Users may still need to trace a file's original source, cross-check reports from credible outlets, and apply other fact-checking methods.

Google said the SynthID Detector joins verification features already built into Search, the Gemini app, and Chrome, which the company says process more than 1 million requests daily.

For Nigerian users, the public tool offers an additional way to examine suspicious digital media as the country moves closer to the 2027 elections, when the ability to distinguish authentic material from synthetic content could become increasingly important.