7 Tips on How to Spot AI Images

The background. Are people in the background looking at the unusual thing going on? If they are going about their business, it is likely a fake. Often the background of AI images will be distorted. 

Other video and photos. If you don’t see other video from different angles, you may be looking at AI generated images. It would be unlikely that there would be only a single image or video of something odd or newsworthy. Don’t share until there is confirmation.

Details. AI generators are not good at details—like fingers, hands and hair. Often AI software will show too many fingers or odd hand placement.* 

Writing. Look closely at writing on a sticker, street sign or billboard. Often it is blurry when it shouldn’t be or else the letters are formed wrong, or the letters don’t form words.

Glossy. The overly-glossy look, similar to some stock photos, can be an AI giveaway. Watch for people with plastic-looking faces.

Source. Is the person or organization sharing the image reliable?

The Eyes. By using methods conventionally used to "measure the shapes of galaxies," researchers have found that deepfake images don't have the same consistency in reflections across both eyes. However, this method of detection does have false positives and false negatives.

*Rice University research could make weird AI images a thing of the past