A potentially controversial application of Google’s new Gemini 2.0 Flash AI model has emerged: users are leveraging it to remove watermarks from images, including those from stock photo sites such as Getty Images.

The recently expanded image generation feature of Gemini 2.0 Flash allows for native image generation and editing, a powerful tool that seemingly lacks robust usage restrictions. Social media users have highlighted how the AI can not only remove watermarks but also intelligently fill in the resulting gaps, often with impressive accuracy, and it’s currently free within Google’s AI Studio developer tools.

While labeled “experimental” and “not for production use,” Gemini 2.0 Flash’s ability to bypass watermarks stands in contrast to models like Anthropic’s Claude 3.7 Sonnet and OpenAI’s GPT-4o, which explicitly prohibit such actions, citing ethical and legal concerns.

It’s important to note that Gemini 2.0 Flash isn’t foolproof; it can struggle with semi-transparent or heavily overlaid watermarks. Nevertheless, the ease with which it can remove watermarks raises potential copyright issues, as removing a watermark without the copyright holder’s permission is generally illegal in many countries. This situation underscores the ongoing challenges of balancing powerful AI capabilities with copyright protection.

Huawei concluded its successful participation at Mobile World Congress (MWC) Barcelona 2025, where the company unveiled groundbreaking solutions aimed at accelerating the transition toward an intelligent world. Throughout the event, Huawei emphasized how the convergence of 5G-Advanced and AI technologies creates unprecedented opportunities for carriers to transform into technology companies (techcos) and continuously create new value.

5G-Advanced and AI: Powering the Mobile AI Era
At the Mobile AI Network Summit on the sidelines of MWC, Huawei Chief Strategic Architect Dang Wenshuan highlighted how 5G-Advanced is essential for unlocking new business value in the mobile AI era. Networks are rapidly evolving to support 10 times faster uplink speeds and 10 dB better coverage with 10 times higher spectral efficiency, establishing a robust foundation for universal AI accessibility. Meanwhile, AI is revolutionizing networks by increasing operations and maintenance (O&M) efficiency by 30%, reducing energy consumption by 20%, and enabling service assurance rates exceeding 90%.

Industry experts from Ookla, Omdia, ABI, Zhipu AI, and SHARGE confirmed that the rapid advancement of large language models drives the mobile AI boom. The increasing adoption of AI phones, smart glasses, and other intelligent devices enhances multimodal interaction capabilities, underscoring the importance of reliable real-time mobile connections and setting the stage for significant increases in network data traffic.

Dang Wenshuan, Huawei’s Chief Strategy Architect, speaking at the summit

Transforming Carriers into Techcos with the “Five Ones” Model
James Chen, President of Huawei Carrier Business, introduced the “Five Ones” capability model designed to facilitate carriers’ transformation into techcos. This comprehensive approach helps reshape business models, O&M practices, and infrastructure to enable carriers to seize transformation opportunities and continuously create value.

The Five Ones model includes a differentiated experience monetization model, a home AI service entry supporting multimodal interaction, a one-stop cloud platform for B2B services, a telecom foundation model introducing general AI agents and digital twins, and a synergetic architecture enabling all-element collaboration across networking, storage, cloud, and computing resources.

More than 35 carriers worldwide have already adopted experience monetization models, while carriers in China and South Korea have launched AI-powered home hubs that seamlessly connect to various smart home devices through multimodal interaction.

Innovative ICT Services & Software Solutions
Bruce Xun, President of Huawei Global Technical Service, unveiled five innovative ICT Services and Software solutions designed to accelerate digital intelligence. These solutions address critical industry challenges, from equipment center office modernization to intelligent operations for mobile broadband cross-domain service continuity. By integrating AI Copilot, AI Agent, and Digital Twin Network (DTN) capabilities into operational processes, Huawei enables efficient human-machine collaboration that creates tangible business value for carriers.

At Huawei’s Digital Economy Development Forum, David Wang, Director of the Board and Chairman of the ICT Infrastructure Managing Board, outlined five ways ICT infrastructure can drive digital economy development. Wang emphasized that a thriving digital economy requires solid digital infrastructure, accelerated digital transformation across industries, future-oriented industry policies, extensive digital talent development, and open, collaborative ecosystems. The forum brought together policymakers, industry association leaders, and experts to discuss strategies for high-quality development of the global digital economy.

He Bo, President of Huawei Data Center Facility & Critical Power Product Line, introduced the “Single SitePower” architecture and the RASTM guideline for AI data center construction. These innovations help operators thrive as energy prosumers and build better ICT facilities in the AI era. The Single SitePower architecture implements bidirectional interaction of power and information flows, while the RASTM guideline addresses the reliability, agility, and sustainability challenges AI data centers face.

As commercial 5G-Advanced deployment accelerates in 2025, Huawei continues to work actively with carriers and partners worldwide to reshape business, infrastructure, and O&M, paving the way toward an intelligent world.

Today at the OPPO AI Tech Summit during MWC2025, OPPO announced its enhanced artificial intelligence (AI) strategy, aiming to position itself as a leader in AI experiences by providing comprehensive, secure, and continuously evolving AI solutions. As AI applications progress, OPPO is advancing from functional-level to system-level AI, necessitating deeper AI integration and security on devices. By integrating Google AI experiences across its smartphones, OPPO is set to launch capabilities that allow Google Gemini to act within native OPPO apps like Notes, Calendar, and Clock. These advancements will complement existing support for Gemini 1.5 Pro and Gemini 1.5 Flash on OPPO AI Phones, unlocking unprecedented levels of performance and responsiveness. The collaboration aims to bring Gemini 2.0 to OPPO Phones soon, aligning with the UAE’s vision for technological advancement as outlined in the UAE Strategy for Artificial Intelligence.

illy Zhang, President of Overseas Marketing, Sales and Services at OPPO

“When it comes to AI, the user experience is ultimately all that matters,” said Billy Zhang, President of Overseas Marketing, Sales and Services at OPPO. “Smartphones are not just a vehicle for AI – they are the engines that power the best possible AI experiences. As a global leader in smartphones with a strong presence in the UAE, OPPO is driving in-house innovation and open collaboration with industry partners to bring our users these unparalleled AI experiences that reflect the multicultural and technologically advanced nature of the region.”

To ensure user security and privacy when accessing these AI features, OPPO will implement Private Computing Cloud (PCC) with Confidential Computing from Google Cloud. Starting with AI Recording Summary, features like AI Search, AI Studio, and AI Call Summary will be integrated with OPPO Private Computing Cloud this year, a framework particularly relevant for UAE consumers who prioritize data protection and privacy in digital interactions.

“We are excited to collaborate with OPPO to shape the future of mobile AI by bringing together Google technologies with OPPO’s exceptional hardware and software,” said Matt Waldbusser, Managing Director for Global Solution and Consumer AI, Google Cloud. “Through our extensive partnership spanning apps, AI models and cloud solutions, we are unlocking immense potential to redefine the mobile AI experience.”

Under its latest AI strategy, OPPO is focusing on AI Productivity, AI Creativity, and AI Imaging to offer meaningful features that will make AI indispensable in the UAE’s fast-paced environment. This strategy is underpinned by comprehensive AI R&D, covering the entire AI ecosystem from chips to devices to the cloud. OPPO is collaborating with MediaTek to optimize chips for high-efficiency, real-time AI processing, balancing powerful performance with energy efficiency.

Matt Waldbusser, Managing Director for Global Solution and Consumer AI, Google Cloud

Will Chen, Deputy General Manager of the Wireless Business Group at MediaTek said, “The partnership between MediaTek and OPPO is set to unlock new opportunities in AI. From AI-enhanced photography to next-generation gaming experiences, from intelligent security solutions to seamless device connectivity, the possibilities are limitless.”

On the device side, AI technologies such as LoRA (Low-Rank Adaptation), Parallel Decoding Solution, and MoE (Mixture of Experts) are significantly enhancing AI capabilities on OPPO devices. On the cloud, OPPO has built a robust data security protection system that operates across both devices and the cloud.

With the continuous development of AI technology, OPPO is evolving its approach to redefine how AI enhances everyday experiences. Having surpassed its goal of reaching 50 million users last year, OPPO now aims to double that number, focusing on the Middle Eastern markets and expecting nearly 100 million users by the end of 2025. To meet growing demand, OPPO will deliver an average of one new AI update per month. New AI innovations, including AI Search and the integration of OPPO applications with Google Gemini, are coming to the OPPO Find N5 soon.

Additionally, AI Call Translator, which interprets calls in multiple languages in real time, and AI VoiceScribe, offering multi-use voice summarization across voice calls, online learning, and meetings, are set to launch on OPPO devices via future updates. These innovations present valuable tools for the UAE’s diverse, multilingual business community.

At MWC2025, OPPO’s AI features and AI phones, including the Find N5, Reno13 series, and Find X8 series, are showcased by leading partners such as Google, MediaTek, and Qualcomm. OPPO continues to strengthen its presence in the UAE with dedicated customer service centers in key locations, ensuring local consumers receive prompt support for their AI-powered devices. Through deep technical research, continuous user experience enhancements, and collaboration with global and UAE-based partners, OPPO is committed to leading AI innovations that align with the UAE’s vision of becoming a global hub for artificial intelligence innovation.