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From the Bureau: How to identify AI in photos, videos
It’s getting harder to spot the fakes
By Bobby Hansen, - Better Business Bureau
Jun. 2, 2024 5:00 am
New artificial intelligence technology, or AI, is becoming more sophisticated and more accessible, making it possible for just about anyone to create realistic-looking images and videos. Gone are the days when one could confidently say, “Seeing is believing.”
Unfortunately, this also means scammers can now use AI images and videos to lend credibility. AI videos and images can make a phony celebrity endorsement look real or convince family members of a fake emergency.
AI-generated text
If you’re reading something and are wondering whether it was written by a human or generated by AI, consider these tips.
- Look for typos. Normally, typos are red flags for scams. But, if you’re trying to decipher between human or AI content, typos may indicate that a human wrote the content.
- Watch for incorrect or outdated information. Many AI bots are trained on limited data sets and, therefore, may write with out-of-date information.
- See any repetitive words and phrases? When discussing a single topic, AI may use the same keywords and phrases learned during training, making it sound unnatural.
- Pay attention to the tone of voice. AI writing may have a more robotic and emotionless tone, whereas humans may write more informally and causally with slang.
- When in doubt, seek out another source. If you’re not confident that what you’re reading is coming from a credible source, seek out the information from another source.
AI-generated images
Here are tips for recognizing AI-generated images:
- Look at the context for red flags. Because generative AI capabilities are advancing at an incredible rate, it is becoming very hard to spot fakes. The most reliable cause for suspicion may be the context in which you see a potentially faked image or hear a voice. Ask yourself: Is the image or voice used with pressure to take an urgent action, one that seems questionable, such as sending money to a stranger, or through an unexpected or odd payment mechanism? If the image or voice is one of a friend or loved one, don't respond before you contact that person to see if it's a genuine.
- Find a high-resolution image and zoom in. If you question a photo, look closer and search the image in the highest-possible resolution and then zoom in. You’ll likely find a few giveaways if you’re looking at an AI-generated image as there may be inconsistencies.
- Consider asymmetry and other physical inconsistencies -- but be careful. Less sophisticated versions of AI can have a hard time with physical traits and unnatural body proportions. Asymmetry in human faces, teeth and hands are common with poor quality AI images. As AI technology is advancing, these mistakes will show up less often.
- Strange textures or a glossy effect. AI images often have textured backgrounds or an airbrushed look that real photos don’t share. You might also notice strange-looking backgrounds or sharp images with random blurry spots.
AI-generated videos
How to identify AI-generated videos:
- Look out for strange shadows, blurs or light flickers. In some AI-generated videos, shadows or light may appear to flicker only on the face of the person speaking or possibly only in the background. This is especially true of low-quality deep fake videos.
- Unnatural body language. This is another AI giveaway. As with photos, AI can have a hard time replicating actual humans. If the body language feels off, it’s time to question the veracity of the video. Look for movement and blinking. Take a closer listen; synthetic audio might sound a little strange. Choppy sentences, confusing inflection, or background sounds that don’t match the speaker’s location are all dead giveaways.
Bobby Hansen is regional director for the Better Business Bureau Cedar Rapids office. Comments: (319) 365-1190; info@dm.bbb.org
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