How to Tell if an Image Is AI Generated
To tell if an image is AI generated, you need to look for inconsistencies in details like lighting and shadows. You can also check the image metadata if it is available. AI pictures often look too perfect or have a plastic quality in the skin and lighting. You should examine the finer details for discrepancies. Shadows might not align with the light sources. You might see distorted objects or areas that are blurred or overly sharp in ways that seem out of place. The scale of things and the shading often look unnatural. AI models often struggle with coherent text. You might see misspelled words, gibberish, or inconsistent fonts in the picture. The background also gives clues. The further back something sits, the more the model stops committing to real geometry and turns it into a flat texture. You can look for duplicate elements and a lack of realism. You might see identical background objects like trees or bushes that look exactly alike. You might also see repetitive facial features. Some AI systems like Google SynthID embed invisible watermarks that specific tools can detect. Many models insert metadata into the image file, but platforms often strip this information when you upload the file. It is becoming harder to spot these images because the models are constantly improving. Common tells like distorted hands are becoming less frequent, and the artifacts are becoming more subtle every day.