Is This Picture AI? – free checklist (episode 24)

Why it matters

A picture can carry a hidden label about where it came from, or an invisible mark. But labels are optional and can be removed, and checker tools can guess wrong. So treat a result as a clue.

The 5 checks

0 of 5 done

Look for a labelSome pictures carry a small history note (called Content Credentials). If a site shows its small icon, open it.Try: Click it and read the history, if the site lets you.Only if the maker added one.
No label? Don't concludeAdding a label is optional, and it can be removed. A missing label doesn't mean real. It doesn't mean fake.Try: Write down: unknown, not real, not fake.Based on the official explainer: optional, no assumption from its absence.
A score is a guessChecker tools can be wrong, and different tools can disagree. Don't treat one result as proof.Try: Try two tools. Do they agree?One 2024 study of three free tools on science images found wide differences.
Find the sourceWho posted it first? Look for the original post, the photographer or a news report.Try: Search for the same picture on other sites.General good practice.
Slow down to shareIf you can't tell, say so. Wait for a better source before you pass it on.Try: Say: I'm not sure yet.General good practice.

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

Rule of thumb

no clue is not proof. A result is a guess.

Sources: C2PA Technical Specification 2.2 and C2PA Explainer 2.2 (spec.c2pa.org); contentcredentials.org; Google DeepMind SynthID page; Gosselin, arXiv 2407.10308. The five checks are general good practice. The picture of a sun over hills and the app's 'maybe' answer are our own illustration.

Episode 24: Is this picture AI? 5 checks

Why it matters

The 5 checks

What Does AI Actually See in a Picture?

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