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Your guide to spotting AI-generated images before you fall for the faux.
Looks can be deceiving—and as AI image generation becomes more convincing, it’s getting harder to determine what’s fact from fiction. The good news? There are still telltale signs if you know where to look—and a few tricks to becoming a properly trained scroller. After all, the devil’s in the details…
KEEP IT REAL: When it comes to flawless skin, your first instinct should be investigation, not admiration. Read: Small imperfections are what keep things, well, real. Apply the same detective work to other textured areas. If everything looks suspiciously smooth, you may have a fake on your hands.
SHADY BEHAVIOR: Glow can be an easy giveaway. First, locate where the photo’s light source appears to be, then see if the shadows fall in line. If dim light produces a sharp, dark shadow—or two that point in opposite directions—wave the red flag.
PERSPECTIVE MATTERS: All roads lead back to—different spots? Yikes. Lucky for us humans, vanishing point laws are difficult for AI to grasp, and while the straight edges of a scene should converge at a single spot, they may bend or wander if AI-generated. If anything seems spatially off, consider it a dead giveaway.
READ THE FINE PRINT:When in doubt, zoom in. While AI has gotten better at generating legible text and common patterns, the more intricate the details, the better the tell. Take a second look at brand names, license plates and small script—you might find gibberish buried in the pixels.
TAKE A LOOK IN THE MIRROR: Mirrors, windows, water and even eyes can reveal a faux flick. AI struggles to recreate reflective properties, making reflections appear in the wrong spot, look overly generic—or disappear altogether. Eyes don’t lie.
Test Yourself
Can you spot the real image from the fake one?
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