Artificial intelligence (AI) is well and truly here – which means you can’t necessarily trust every image you see online. AI editing tools can help you make uncannily real images, often known as ‘deepfakes’, particularly when talking about the manipulation of someone’s likeness. Sometimes AI features are included right in smartphones, like Google’s Add Me feature on the Pixel 9, which lets the photo-taker be inserted into an image.
Platforms like Midjourney make AI image generation simple, and they can be seriously realistic – just think of the picture of the Pope wearing a white Balenciaga puffer jacket that went viral last year, fooling many a person. If you want to get better at spotting images that aren’t quite right, then you’re in the right place. We’ve gathered some top tips to help you spot deepfake images, to help you avoid being fooled by too-good-to-be-true photos.
Zoom in on details Whether it’s completely AI-generated or simply heavily edited, there are some telltale signs that most deepfake images still exhibit. If you zoom in on things like people’s eyes and the definition of the edge of their face, this can often show up inconsistencies or blurriness that can be a red flag. For AI-generated imagery, hands and fingers are still frequently the site of issues, so any weirdness in these areas can be obvious.
Plus, if a deepfake is made with a face replacement, you’ll often see slight blurriness around the edge of the whole face. In videos.