Nowadays, it’s easy to be fooled by AI content on the web. Whether it’s a photo of the Pope wearing a Balenciaga puffer jacket or a photo of Trump being arrested, these AI-generated images look very realistic (as long as you don’t look too closely), so it can be difficult to separate fact from fiction. . This is because AI does not understand context in a cultural or historical sense. While some AI-generated images are harmless and do not spread misinformation, others, especially those involving celebrities or politicians, can cause a great deal of damage and brain rot.
Well, I consider myself a relatively tech-savvy person, and even I’ve been scammed once or twice. We’re already in an age where political leaders are using AI images in misleading or emotive ways, so it’s good to be able to determine whether what you’re looking at is real or not. If you find yourself constantly drawn to these photos and videos, don’t worry, I’ll show you how to identify tags for AI-generated content.
Further reading: LinkedIn trains AI on your data. Here’s how to unsubscribe as quickly as possible
How to detect AI images
One of the easiest ways to spot an AI-generated image is to look for anatomical oddities like a second arm appearing out of nowhere or extra fingers and toes. This is because the artificial intelligence has difficulty dealing with the fine details of the image. Other signs include waxy skin, areas of abnormal smoothness or roughness, or architecture that makes no sense structurally. However, these errors can be subtle or painfully obvious, so it’s important to take the time to examine the image closely.
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I asked Google’s Gemini to create a realistic photo of two people hanging out together. Very simple, right? At first glance, you may not notice anything abnormal in the image above. However, if you zoom in, the man on the right has questionable-looking teeth as well as a questionable-looking neck. The bottom row of teeth looks almost rotten. His neck is also misshapen, bulging out where his Adam’s apple should be.
If you’re not sure whether an image was generated by AI or not, you can always check it with Sight Engine’s AI image detector. All you have to do is upload the image in question and you will get a percentage rating. The higher the percentage, the more likely it is AI.
How to spot AI video
AI videos are almost everywhere on the internet these days, and they’re often the stuff of nightmares. I’m sure you’ve seen the infamous AI video of Will Smith gobbling up spaghetti and exist in a world where there’s no shortage of spaghetti. Don’t worry, if you didn’t enjoy (insert heavy sarcasm here), you can watch the video below. You can easily tell that a Will Smith spaghetti video is AI because it’s unrealistic and silly, but what about the more realistic clips?
If you’re skeptical about whether the video you’re watching was generated by AI, I’d pay close attention to shadows and their behavior. Are they heading in the wrong direction? The most disturbing AI content has to be deepfake content. A deepfake video is a video of a person whose body or face has been digitally altered. This can damage a person’s reputation, especially when they appear to be doing risky things in the video.
One surefire way to spot a deepfake video is to pay close attention to the facial area. If the face is fake, you may notice a slight distortion when the head turns or you may notice the face swelling and shrinking when you smile or blink. You may also want to zoom in on the image and check the reflection in the eyes. Sometimes they reflect two different things! Text on clothing is another strong indicator, as you’ll likely spot some spelling errors.
If you’re still feeling confused, I recommend using Deepware’s video AI tool. Just paste the link or upload the video directly and click the blue “Scan” button.
How to distinguish sound with artificial intelligence
Audio is difficult because it can sound eerily realistic. You can make anyone say anything you want – it’s a terrifying power indeed. This is why it is important to listen closely to the tone of the speaking voice. It may appear completely flat (no tones) or not human-like at all. Sometimes the tempo is too fast or there are weird pauses between words. Heck, the speaker might mispronounce a random word or two.
I also recommend listening to the words themselves and treating them with a healthy dose of skepticism. If you think it sounds fishy or too good to be true, you’re probably right.
If you’re ever unsure, you can always use a detection tool designed to explore AI-generated audio. I recommend using this tool from Eleven Labs, which allows you to upload a sample directly.
How to detect artificial intelligence text
AI-generated text is another difficult text to identify and is currently a real problem in school environments. The biggest indicator I look for is sudden shifts in topic or tone, something that gives me writer’s block. You should also pay attention to repetitive phrases or meaningless sentences. Below you will find an example of text generated by artificial intelligence. I asked Google Gemini to create a story about a curious greyhound exploring Mars. It’s a simple enough claim, isn’t it? Here’s what Gemini brought out:
“Rusty was not your average greyhound. Sure, he was fast, had a stylish coat, and loved a good chase. But Rusty also had an insatiable curiosity that led him on the most extraordinary adventure.
It all started with a strange, glowing orb that fell from the sky. Rusty, ever the curious pup, couldn’t resist investigating. The orb was pulsating with energy, and when he touched it, he felt a strange sensation. The next thing he knew, he was hurtling through space, landing with a soft thud on the dusty red surface of Mars.
Rusty’s heart pounded with excitement. He was on another planet! The air was thin, the sun seemed warmer, and the sky was a breathtaking shade of pink. He darted across the Martian landscape, his long legs carrying him effortlessly over the rocky terrain. He chased down strange floating dust demons and investigated towering canyons that seemed to extend endlessly.
As days turned into weeks, Rusty became a true Martian explorer. Discover hidden caves filled with sparkling crystals, befriend a family of small green Martian creatures, and even learn to communicate with them through a series of barks and gestures.
One day, Rusty found a huge ancient structure buried under the sands of Mars. With the help of his new friends, he discovers the ruins of a long-lost civilization. Inside, he found a device that could take him home.
With a heavy heart, Rusty activated the device. He said goodbye to his Martian friends and went through the portal. In an instant, he was back in his backyard, the warm Martian sun replaced by the familiar glow of Earth.
Rusty’s adventure on Mars changed him. It brought back tales of a strange new world, and although he missed his Martian friends, he knew he would always carry a piece of Martian within him. Whenever he looked up at the night sky, he saw the red planet sparkling, a reminder of his extraordinary journey.
The jump from Rusty’s encounter with Martian creatures to stumbling across an ancient structure under the sand feels abrupt and out of place. The whole flow is wrong here. How did we get here in the first place? We don’t have any details about Martian creatures or ancient ruins. It’s also a bit long and full of flowery words. The story isn’t poorly written, per se, it’s just weirdly written. Humans are better at adding detail and context, two things this story really lacks.
If you still feel unsure, you can always run the text through the AI detector. Grammarly has a free AI detection tool that is very easy to use. All you have to do is load the site, paste the text into the white box, then click the “Check List” button. I actually ran the above story through Grammarly, and although it took a few minutes to come to a conclusion, it informed me that the story was in fact 100 percent AI generated. You’re right, grammarian! Smart girl.
