Why Image AI Miscounts – free checklist (episode 10)

Why it matters

Image AIs often get the number of objects wrong. We asked for ten doors and got twelve. Here is a quick way to catch it.

The 5-step check

0 of 5 done

Ask for fewer objectsIn a 2025 research paper, accuracy dropped as the number of objects grew. So when the number matters, a small number is easier to check.Try: "Exactly five doors" instead of "ten doors".Our suggestion, not a tested rule.
Say where things goA simple layout is easier to check by eye. General good practice, and it worked for us once.Try: "Exactly five doors in a single row."
Count it yourselfPoint at each item once and say the number out loud. Do not trust the AI's own count.General good practice.
Don't count on rewordingThe same paper's exploratory test found that rewording the prompt generally did not improve counting. If the count is wrong, generate again or fix it by hand.Our one success is not a guarantee.
Check numbers in text tooAsk for a numbered list, one item per line, so you can check it. For totals, use a calculator or spreadsheet.General good practice.

Tap a step when you have done it. Your ticks stay on this device.

Rule of thumb

the AI makes it. You count it.

Sources: Guo et al., "Text-to-Image Diffusion Models Cannot Count, and Prompt Refinement Cannot Help" (arXiv 2503.06884); Kang et al., "Counting Guidance for High Fidelity Text-to-Image Synthesis" (arXiv 2306.17567). The door examples are our own experience. Step 1 is our own suggestion. Steps 2, 3 and 5 are general good practice.

Episode 10: How to check an AI's count

Why it matters

The 5-step check

What Does AI Actually See in a Picture?

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