I’ve Got Proof! Dataset-Specific Watermarking for Detecting Excessive Dataset Usage in Text-to-Image Diffusion Model Fine-Tuning

This research proposes DSW, a dataset-specific watermarking method to detect when text-to-image diffusion models (AI systems that generate images from text descriptions) are illegally fine-tuned (customized for specific tasks) using protected datasets. The method embeds a hidden watermark image representing the dataset owner into training data, then extracts it from images generated by models that used that data, creating a one-to-one link between the watermark and the specific misused dataset to prove intellectual property theft.