{"id":7246,"date":"2025-03-26T16:45:00","date_gmt":"2025-03-26T16:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/undetectable.ai/blog\/?p=7246"},"modified":"2026-03-13T20:38:57","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T20:38:57","slug":"how-to-tell-if-an-image-is-ai-generated","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/undetectable.ai/blog\/how-to-tell-if-an-image-is-ai-generated\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Tell If an Image Is AI-Generated: Best Methods"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Did you see that viral Pope\u2019s photo<\/strong> in a stylish white puffer jacket back in 2023?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Millions of people shared it, news sites reported on it, and everyone talked about how stylish the Pope looked. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was just one problem – it never happened. The image was completely created by artificial intelligence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or you might remember the shocking image of an explosion at the Pentagon<\/strong> that briefly shook the stock market. Fake!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What about the pictures of Trump being tackled and arrested<\/strong>? Again, they were also completely made up by AI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fake AI images have caused real harm. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

People have lost money investing based on fake news photos. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Celebrities and ordinary people alike<\/strong> have had their faces put onto other bodies in embarrassing or inappropriate situations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Politicians have been shown saying and doing things they never actually did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we can\u2019t trust our own eyes, we need new ways to figure out what\u2019s real and what\u2019s not. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this blog, I\u2019ll show you how AI & DeepFake technology has evolved over the years, the importance of identifying AI vs. real images, how to tell if an image is AI-generated, or the best tool to detect AI-generated images. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How AI Art & Deepfake Technology Have Evolved<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about AI<\/strong> first\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not too long ago, AI-generated images looked like a bad dream-blurry face, extra fingers, and a whole lot of weirdness. But today, AI art is shockingly realistic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It all started around 2014 with GANs<\/strong><\/a> (Generative Adversarial Networks), where two AI models – one creating fakes, the other spotting them – kept improving each other. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Early GAN images were pretty bad – blurry faces with weird eyes and missing ears. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

By 2020, things got much better with \u201cdiffusion models.\u201d<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

They start with a messy picture full of dots and slowly clean it up until it looks real. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was a huge jump forward. Suddenly, AI could make much clearer, more realistic images.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Deepfake technology<\/strong> works in the same but trickier way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It involves the use of both AI & Deepfake technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AI learns what someone\u2019s face looks like from many angles and expressions by studying lots of videos and pictures of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then it can put that person\u2019s face onto someone else\u2019s body in a different video. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The computer learns to match the lighting, skin tone, and even tiny expressions to make it look real.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Early deepfakes from 2017 looked obvious and glitchy. Today\u2019s deepfakes can be almost perfect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To see the comparison, watch the videos below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Deepfake in 2017 – <\/strong>Fake Obama Video<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Deepfake in 2023 – <\/strong>Emma Watson in \u201cGet Out (2017)\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, people created about 6 million images using AI. By early 2023, that jumped to over 20 million images every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, billions of AI-made images exist online, and most of us see them daily without even knowing it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Risks of AI-Generated Images in Misinformation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

False news spreads 6x faster than true news on social media. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The damage is usually done by the time someone points out that an image is fake. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The risks associated with fake images are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1) Manipulation <\/strong>– False images create false narratives about others including elections, leaders, and world events. For example,<\/strong> AI-generated images falsely depicted the arrest of U.S. President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2) Defamation<\/strong> – Fake images can ruin reputation. For example,<\/strong> in January 2024, AI-generated images of Taylor Swift circulated online falsely portraying her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3) Social Unrest <\/strong>– A single fake image can create outrage, riots, or even violence. For example,<\/strong> in May 2023, an AI-generated image showing an explosion near the Pentagon circulated widely on social media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4) Fraud –<\/strong> Scammers use deepfake images to trick people into sending money. For example;<\/strong> Michael Hewson (financial analyst)was impersonated to promote fraudulent investment schemes.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"\" <\/picture><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Because these scams often start with a “verified” celebrity image, standard caution isn’t enough. Run the accompanying link or message through our Undetectable AI\u2019s Scam Detector<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It provides a vital layer of security by flagging fraudulent domains and high-risk “get-rich-quick” language that often accompanies AI-generated deepfakes of financial analysts or public figures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s another problem happening  now called the \u201cliar\u2019s dividend.\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As AI fakes become common, people caught in real scandals simply dismiss the evidence as \u201cdeepfake\u201d <\/strong>– even when it\u2019s genuine. Politicians have already started using this tactic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Importance of Identifying AI vs. Real Images<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The need to understand the real vs fake image is more than ever because of a couple of reasons: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1 – Erosion of Public Trust <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our society runs on trust. Our brain accepts what it sees in the news, in court, or from our leaders. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But now, with AI making such convincing fake images, that trust is breaking down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we all continue to be this suspicious, it will completely change how we connect with the world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2 – Legal Implications and Emerging Regulations<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Governments are trying to figure out what to do about fake AI pictures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n