Apple has introduced Reference Image on the iPhone 18 Pro to cryptographically authenticate that camera photos have not been altered by AI afterward, allowing users to view the digital negative if changes occurred. The feature responds to growing synthetic imagery by letting recipients verify authenticity even on shared files, though it will not be available in the EU or China.
Apple positions Reference Image as its response to increasing synthetic AI-generated imagery.
Recipients can also receive the signed images along with the reference signatures for later authentication.
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