How to Identify Fake AI Images on Social Media

Fake AI images (often called "deepfakes") are computer-generated pictures that look real but never happened. You might see the Pope in a puffer jacket or a politician doing something outrageous. Scammers use these to confuse people or steal money. Fortunately, AI still struggles with details, and you can spot these fakes if you look closely.

Look at the Hands and Fingers For some reason, AI has a very hard time drawing hands.

Zoom in on the person's hands. Are there six fingers? Are the fingers unusually long or bending in the wrong direction? Is the hand blending into a coffee cup? If the hands look like a blurry mess, the image is almost certainly fake.

Check the Text and Background AI is great at faces but terrible at spelling.

Look at street signs, store logos, or newspapers in the background of the photo. In AI images, the text usually looks like alien gibberish or blurry squiggles. Also, check the background people. Do they have distorted faces? Are they floating? These are clear signs of a computer generation.

Look for the "Glossy" Skin AI images often look too perfect.

Real human skin has pores, wrinkles, and imperfections. AI faces often look smooth, shiny, and plastic, like a video game character. If everyone in the photo looks like a wax museum figure with perfect lighting, be skeptical.