
Protecting Data Ownership in RAG Systems
Watermarked Canaries: A New Defense Against IP Theft in LLMs
This research introduces a novel approach to detect unauthorized use of datasets in Retrieval-Augmented LLMs through watermarked canaries - specially crafted data entries that can prove dataset ownership.
- Achieves 95-99% detection accuracy of unauthorized dataset use
- Creates synthetic, watermarked data that blends naturally with authentic content
- Provides dataset owners with tools to identify IP infringement
- Demonstrates effectiveness across various LLM architectures and retrieval methods
As RAG systems become standard in AI deployments, this technique offers a crucial security layer for organizations concerned about protecting proprietary datasets and intellectual property rights in an increasingly complex AI landscape.
Dataset Protection via Watermarked Canaries in Retrieval-Augmented LLMs