AI Photos Are Everywhere: 10 Fast Ways to Spot an AI-Generated Image (In ~10 Seconds)
AI images look real—but you can still spot them fast. This guide gives you 10 quick visual checks (hands, text, shadows, background lines) and free tools for verification. Learn how to confirm photos in seconds before you share.
1) Hands & Fingers
- Extra or missing fingers
- Strange finger lengths or doubled knuckles
- Nails that melt into skin
2) Teeth & Jewelry
Teeth can merge into a glossy wall; earrings and chains may drift, duplicate, or fuse with skin.
3) Text on Signs, Logos, Clothing
- Garbled letters, random glyphs, misspellings
- Logos that don’t exist or morph across frames
4) Skin Texture & Pores
Too perfect or plasticky skin; hyper-sharp pores with no natural variation; odd blur around hairlines.
5) Lighting & Shadows
- Shadows pointing in different directions
- Face perfectly lit while background is implausibly dark (or vice versa)
6) Background Anomalies
Warped lines in tiles, bricks, or bookshelves; repeating patterns that noodle or fade; doors/windows that don’t align.
7) Eyes & Eyeglasses
- Reflections that don’t match the room
- Frames melting into cheeks or ears
- Left/right eyes that look copy-pasted
8) Clothing Seams & Fabric
Printed logos that float over folds; zippers/strings that vanish; seams that don’t meet.
9) “Too Many…Everything”
Photos where all people look like models, every bokeh is perfect, or everyday scenes look cinematic without reason.
10) Quick Tools (20–30s)
- Reverse image search: Google Lens, Bing Visual Search
- Detectors (as hints): “AI or Not”, “Hive Moderation”, “Illuminarty”
- Content credentials: Look for C2PA / “Content Credentials” badges when available
Quick “Is This AI?” Checklist (Save This)
| Check | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Hands | Extra/missing fingers, odd joints |
| Text/Logos | Garbled letters, wrong fonts |
| Shadows | Direction mismatch, no clear source |
| Skin/Teeth | Plastic sheen, merged teeth |
| Background | Bent lines, weird repeats |
FAQ
Can Google tell if an image is AI?
Some platforms can flag their own AI images (via watermarks/content credentials). For everything else, combine manual checks with reverse searches; no detector is 100%.
Is there a perfect detector?
No. Treat tools as signals, not verdicts—use multiple clues.
Should I trust “photo proof” on social?
Only after you verify the source, check the publisher, and run a quick reverse search.
Related Reading
Bottom line: Trust your gut, zoom in on the tiny stuff, and verify with tools. The more you practice, the faster you’ll spot the fakes.
Got a suspicious image? Drop it in the comments—we’ll test it together.
Comments
Post a Comment