Overview of Image Inpainting and Forensic Technology

Abstract

At present, digital image is the most significant information carrier on the Internet, which provides convenience for people to exchange information. With the progress of image processing theory, digital image inpainting technology has also developed rapidly. It not only enhances the image expression but also provides tools for image forgery. Misusing the tools may trigger a crisis of trust in the image. To eliminate the negative impact of image forgery, many scholars have conducted in-depth research on it and proposed a series of detection methods called image forensics for institutions or communities to identify such forged images. Current forensic technology still has many limitations, such as relying on specific features and data distribution which makes forensic technology lag behind image inpainting technology. So far, academia still lacks a unified understanding of image forgery and detection technology, and the research architecture of inpainting and forensic technology is not clear. This article reviews the development of image inpainting and forensic technology and systematically summarizes and scientifically classifies the current research work. Finally, the forensic technology is summarized and the future research direction is prospected to guide subsequent scholars to further promote the progress of image forensic technology.