Make It A Habit: Check Images and Videos for Signs of Being AI-generated

Thanks to the News Literacy Project for the tips in this piece.

Fake and manipulated images and videos can be a factor in amplifying our toxic us-vs-them divides by making us feel threatened and angry. When that happens, we’re more likely to believe and share fake and distorted information.

As artificial intelligence programs get better at making images and videos that look real, this problem will get worse. We’ll see more people overreacting to images and videos that people have purposefully made to try to rile us up and trigger animosity against people and groups. If we care about reducing toxic polarization in America, we must get in the habit of trying to recognize fake media—and misleading information in general—and help others do the same.

Dan Evon debunks viral rumors for RumorGuard, a website by the News Literacy Project that helps people navigate digital news and information. Here are some tips Dan shared to help you avoid being duped by AI-generated media: 

• Check out who’s sharing it. Be curious about where you see the image or video posted. Is it on a well-known news source, or at least one that seems reputable? Or is it on a site you’ve never heard of, or just in someone’s social media post? 
• Consider who’s not sharing it. If a story seems big and disturbing and you can’t find other news outlets talking about it, there’s a good chance it’s fake. 
• Look up an image. If you’re curious about the source of an image, consider doing a reverse image search.
• Look for strange things. AI-generated media often has strange details, like fingers and ears and mouths looking strange and wrong.
• Be skeptical, but not cynical. It’s still easily possible to determine what’s real and fake, with a little curiosity and effort.

For more information, see the longer piece on recognizing AI-generated media.