SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — In the digital age, technology continues to rapidly develop at an exponential rate, and this is especially true in the artificial intelligence landscape.
Misinformation was an apparent theme during the 2016 and 2020 election cycles, and now with the emergence of deep fake content created by various AI software, news consumers need to be even more mindful about the posts they consume on social media.
ABC 10News is here to equip you with tools that will help you sniff out misinformation and spot the warning signs that an image or video is AI generated.
Tools for verifying whether an image or video is AI generated
- Deepfake-o-Meter
- Can check images, video and audio using several AI dectors. This service gives you the results in a PDF.
- Search by image on Google
- In Google images, select the camera icon on the search bar. You can upload a file or paste an image URL to see if it appears in multiple articles across various websites, including fact-checking sites.
- TinEye reverse image search
- A different option than Google’s search by image.
- RevEye Reverse Image Search
- For Google Chrome users: This extension adds the option to run a reverse image search on your address bar. You can choose between Google, Bing, Yandex, TinEye and more.
- Rest of World Election AI Tracker
- This nonprofit publication has taken on the mission of tracking noteworthy AI-generated election content across the world.
- AI or Not
- This tool detects whether or not pictures, videos or audio are AI generated. It’s free for images, but charges for audio and video, starting at $9 a month.
- Sensity.ai
Telltale signs that an image is AI generated
- Inconsistent or unnatural textures
- Especially noticeable in hair, fabric, or complex patterns
- Unusual or distorted facial features
- Eyes of different sizes, misaligned features, or extra fingers
- Nonsensical text or writing
- AI often struggles with generating coherent text within images
- Asymmetry in supposedly symmetrical objects
- Like glasses, buildings or vehicles
- Unrealistic lighting or shadows
- Inconsistent light sources or shadows that don’t match the scene
- Blurred or smudged backgrounds
- Particularly in areas that should be in focus
- Odd proportions or anatomy
- Especially noticeable in human or animal figures
- Repetitive patterns or textures
- Unnatural repetition in what should be varied surfaces
- Unusual color palettes
- Colors that don’t quite match real-world expectations
- Lack of fine details
- Particularly in areas like jewelry, logos, or intricate patterns
- Inconsistent image quality
- Some parts may be hyper-realistic while others are blurry or distorted
- Unnatural reflections or transparency
- Especially in glasses, water, or mirrors
- Floating or disconnected elements
- Objects that don’t quite touch or interact properly
- Perfect symmetry
- When elements are unnaturally identical on both sides
- Unusual artifacts or glitches
- Random spots, lines, or distortions that don’t fit the image
Things to look out for if you think a video is AI generated
- Inconsistent motion
- Unnatural or jerky movements of objects or people
- Inconsistent frame rates or motion blur
- Facial anomalies
- Flickering or morphing facial features
- Unnatural eye movements or blinking patterns
- Mismatched lip synchronization with audio
- Temporal inconsistencies
- Objects appearing or disappearing unexpectedly
- Sudden changes in lighting or shadows without cause
- Audio discrepancies
- Unnatural voice qualities or inflections
- Mismatched ambient sounds with the visual environment
- Abrupt changes in audio quality or background noise
- Background irregularities
- Static or unnaturally moving backgrounds
- Inconsistent depth of field or focus changes
- Texture and detail flickering
- Clothes, hair, or object textures that change or flicker between frames
- Unrealistic physics
- Objects or people moving in ways that defy natural physics
- Incorrect interaction between objects or characters
- Edge artifacts
- Blurry or glitchy edges around moving objects or people
- Uniform lighting across cuts
- Lack of natural lighting changes when the scene or angle should change
- Repeated elements
- Identical background characters or objects in different scenes
- Uncanny valley effect
- Overall feeling that something is “off” even if you can’t pinpoint why
- Lack of natural imperfections
- Too-perfect skin, hair, or environments without typical real-world flaws
- Unusual color grading
- Colors that shift unnaturally or don’t match between cuts
- Inconsistent video quality
- Some parts of the video being much higher or lower quality than others
- Unnatural camera movements
- Camera motions that are too smooth or don’t follow natural patterns
Sources for these tips include the Journalist’s Toolbox.aiand the Global Investigative Journalism Network.
Keep in mind that AI is learning and evolving 24/7, so these pointers may become outdated in the coming years.
