With AI (Artificial Intelligence) technology becoming more mainstream, you’ve no doubt started to see a lot more AI generated images and videos online—especially on social media. Sometimes, this content is clearly marked as AI created. Other times, it’s difficult to tell if what you’re seeing is real or fake! To avoid being misled by false information or fake news, we’ve put together a list of tell-tale signs of AI images and videos.
You may have heard of tools such as an AI detector or AI checker. They sound like a great idea however there is debate whether they work reliably. And many of them cost money. So, we highly recommend that you build up your skills to spot AI without the need for googling “NZ AI detector” or “NZ AI checker” and being misled by unreliable software.
Overly airbrushed and glossy
AI images often look a bit too perfect! The lighting in the image might appear too even, making the image seem overly airbrushed. Skin can also appear so smooth that people look more like animated movie characters, rather than real humans.
Basically, what we’re saying is, if a picture looks more like a digital painting, CGI or something from a life-like video game, it’s most likely made by AI.
Muddled background and details
AI puts most of its effort into making the main subject of a picture or video look right. This means often the background and its finer details end up a mess.
When observing a suspicious video or image online, look closely at the background. Are faces distorted and/or do people or objects blend together? If you see anything strange or confusing when you take a closer look, it’s probably AI generated.
Misspelled and garbled text
As we’ve just mentioned, AI isn’t great at handling small background details. And this includes text.
Instead of real words, it will often create pictures that just look like text. So, if you’re trying to be an expert AI detector and spot whether an image is AI generated, take a closer look at any text—it can reveal a lot! Notice any strange looking letters or misspelled words? Or, is the text simply unreadable? If that’s the case, you’re probably dealing with AI generated content.
Extra and/or misplaced hands and limbs
A very common mistake AI makes is adding extra hands and limbs or misplacing them.
AI has a hard time generating hands correctly. This is because the technology has only been taught to recognise them from pictures, not how they’re “put together” in real life. As a result, AI generated images often show people with extra arms or six fingers on one hand. Especially when there are several people in the picture.
Even if the subject in the foreground doesn’t seem to have anomalies with its hands or limbs, make sure to check the people in the background. If the image was created by AI, you might spot someone with three legs, hands with too many fingers, or maybe even arms that don’t seem to connect properly to their body.
Inconsistent shadows and lighting
Like the anatomical structure of a hand, widely available AI doesn’t truly understand how light and shadows work. Instead, it uses patterns from the data it was trained on.
This will often lead to strange AI generated results. For example, multiple light sources or shadows coming from different directions. So, if you spot light hitting a person or object from conflicting angles, it’s a good clue that the image is AI generated.
Symmetry and geometry
If you’re feeling suspicious about an image that pictures buildings or rooms, watch out for odd looking geometry.
Floors and walls might appear bent or twisted, columns may not touch the ground properly, and patterns that should repeat exactly look mismatched. This is because AI often struggles with symmetry and identical shapes, so it’s always a good idea to take a closer look at the details of any architecture in an image.
Unbelievable and far fetched
If a picture or video looks too good to be true or seems a bit too far-fetched, trust your gut!
AI generated content can produce images that look almost real but feel slightly off. So, if something seems unbelievable, don’t hesitate to do a quick internet search to check if others have confirmed whether it’s fake or AI generated. A little research can go a long way in helping you spot what’s real and what’s not!
Now that you have the necessary tools up your sleeve, you can confidently spot AI generated images and videos online! If you’re ever not confident ask a trusted friend for their opinion. Or you can always give Geeks on Wheels a call for expert advice on anything tech related! Oh! And make sure you share this blog with a friend or family member that you think could benefit with some AI detector skills! Happy AI spotting everyone!
