The development and spread of artificial intelligence programs worry several experts so much that a hundred of them, including Elon Musk, have requested a six-month pause in system training.
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However, the spread of images created from scratch by artificial intelligence has already begun.
Can you tell a real photo from a fake? French magazine L’édition du soir, in collaboration with AFP, has put together a little guide to help you find your way around.
Here are five tips on how to recognize an image created by artificial intelligence:
Analyze the picture carefully
In some cases, it’s relatively easy to tell if an image was created by an artificial intelligence. Enlarging a photo with a zoom can make it possible to see small assembly errors.
Some programs that create images using artificial intelligence watermark their creations. A careful examination of the image can therefore make it possible to discover these signatures left by the programs.
Identify the source of the image
Knowing who posted a photo and on which site can certainly help identify a fake image. An official account can confirm the authenticity of the photo to us, while we are entitled to question more about the authenticity of the photo if the image was posted on an anonymous or very recent account.
It’s also a good idea to analyze a photo’s metadata to know if it’s true. Metadata is the digital identity of a file and can therefore help to determine whether the image being viewed was created by an artificial intelligence.
How do you find metadata? Just save the image to your computer, then go to “Properties”, then “Details” of it (PC) or go to “Read Info” (Mac).
However, it should be noted that most social networks delete metadata.
Reverse image search
When searching for the source of the photo, you can also use Google’s reverse image search to find out if the file already exists elsewhere and when it was first uploaded.
You may also discover the original file and determine if the photo you are wondering about has been modified and how. You may also be able to find a higher resolution version of the image, which will help you spot possible editing errors that suggest the photo is fake.
Examine the details
Although very advanced, artificial intelligences are not immune to visual inconsistencies. As with the 7 mistakes game, if you look closely at the photo, you may spot ill-defined details in the image.
Watch the background
Speaking of details, the background is often overlooked when an image is created by artificial intelligence.
Some flaws, such as poor perspective or a poorly observed size scale, can therefore slip into the background of the photo. The furthest away elements are the ones most prone to inconsistencies.