AI is changing the way humans create and consume visuals, from artworks to viral social media posts. In India, where technology adoption is soaring, be it in Bollywood, social media, e-commerce, or everyday WhatsApp forwards, AI-generated images are becoming more common.
But how do you tell if that jaw-dropping photo of a futuristic Mumbai skyline, a celebrity doing something strange, an accident, or a huge event is real or just AI? AI tools have gotten smarter over time, and spotting the difference is harder, but not impossible. Here are 11 signs to help you identify AI generated fake images.
1. Imperfect Human Details
AI often stumbles when rendering human features. Look out for oddities like extra fingers or hands (a sixth one sneaking in or even missing fingers/hands), mismatched ear shapes, or teeth that look unnaturally crowded.
2. Overly Polished Textures
AI images often have a polished, plastic-like quality. Skin might look too flawless, fabrics too silky, or natural surfaces (like tree bark or stone) too uniform. If an image looks too clean and lacks small imperfections, it’s worth a second look. Try zooming in and check for image noise or other imperfections.
3. Lighting That Doesn’t Add Up
Lighting in AI images often doesn’t match reality. Shadows may fall in the wrong direction, highlights may be too strong or too soft, and reflections may be missing or misplaced. If the lighting seems off, the image might be AI.
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4. Wonky Backgrounds
AI struggles with depth and perspective. Background elements, such as crowds, buildings, or objects, might appear stretched, wavy, or out of focus in a way that doesn’t match the foreground. Look closely at edges and transitions between objects.
5. Garbled Text
Although Flux, Grok, and other image generators have gotten much better at this, AI still has a hard time generating readable text. Signs, billboards, or even small labels on clothing often contain gibberish, misspellings, or letters that don’t form actual words. If the text reads something nonsensical or if the letters are improper, the image is likely AI-generated.
6. Stereotypical Patterns
AI is trained on massive datasets, which can reinforce clichés. Images of professionals might default to outdated stereotypes, like a “scientist” always wearing a lab coat and goggles. If an image leans too heavily into predictable tropes, AI is probably behind it.
An AI image of an Indian “techie” might default to a man in a kurta with a laptop, ignoring diversity. Or a village scene might overuse cows and carts, leaning into clichés rather than reality.
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7. Bizarre Additions
Sometimes AI inserts bizarre or impossible details, like a person holding a cup with no handle, glasses merging into their face, or a shadow that leads nowhere. If something looks subtly wrong but you can’t pinpoint why, AI could be the reason.
8. Visible Watermarks and Low Resolution
Some AI tools add faint watermarks, often in the corners or subtly blended into the background. If an image looks suspicious, zoom in and check for tiny text or logos that might indicate AI involvement. AI images are also often low in detail and resolution.
9. No Metadata Trail
Real photos contain metadata, including details like the camera model, date taken, and exposure settings. AI images usually lack this information. If you can access an image’s properties and find no metadata, it could be AI-generated.
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10. Too-Good-to-Be-True
AI images often look too polished, with flawless landscapes, perfectly symmetrical faces, or completely clean environments. Real life is messy. If an image looks too perfect, with no visible flaws, consider that it might not be real.
The same is true for the photo technicalities too. If the background blur is too perfect and so is the composition, it’s likely an AI generated image.
11. Reverse Image Search Test
If you’re unsure about an image, run it through a reverse image search (like Google Lens). If it only appears on random social media posts or AI art forums, and not in credible sources, it’s likely AI-generated. However, don’t make this as your sole decision maker.
Key Takeaway
AI-generated images are popping up everywhere, from Instagram reels to festive greetings on WhatsApp. Sure, they’re fun, but they can also mislead, especially in a country like India where misinformation spreads fast. Hopefully, knowing these signs helps you differentiate between real and AI-generated images.
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