Why do CNNs outperform feature based steganalysis detectors?

Ever wondered why CNNs outperform old school features based steganalysis detectors?

The folklore has it that CNNs can leverage localized artifacts, while feature based detectors only leverage an accumulation of artifacts.

Our paper CNN Steganalyzers Leverage Local Embedding Artifacts shows experimentally that CNNs can indeed leverage highly localized artifacts. But are also better at accumulating artifacts (“integrators”) than feature based steganalysis.