WBIR took six photos to Market Square to ask people if photos were real, or created with artificial intelligence.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Can you spot fact from fiction? WBIR took three sets of images to Market Square to quiz people whether the photos were real, or AI-generated.
Most people did very well, but did note that it is increasingly more difficult to spot what is real, and what is fake.
"It really makes me double think about what I'm seeing," one man said. "Like, is this real?"
Al Tompkins is a veteran journalist, formerly with the Poynter Institute, and currently teaching at Syracuse University. He teaches journalists to spot AI.
"Fake photographs have been with us ever since we've had photographs," Tompkins said. "The difference now is that it's so much easier to make a convincing looking photograph or video that's not real, and it's easier than ever to get it distributed worldwide in a second."
WBIR found that to be true, when we put a photo of Josh Heupel through Chat GPT. The image created, was the hardest for people to tell if it was real or not Friday in Market Square.
"Do you think they're tricking us? Are they both real?" one person said.
Recently, fake images of Dolly Parton mourning Charlie Kirk have circulated. Tompkins says, stop and think if this is reasonable.
"For example, Dolly Parton is that she is very non-political," he said. "If you were to see something that sounded like she was taking some partisan stance, that's that's just not going to happen."
Tompkins said to ask yourself three questions if you see a photo that seems unbelievable.
1. Who captured it or posted it?
2. Why would someone profit by circulating it?
3. Would I be willing to be open to another version of this that doesn't align with what I want it to be?
Other signs to spot AI photos include warped or non-sensical text in a photo, and experts also say to look at hands, faces, and check to see if the photo looks too perfect or airbrushed.
Tompkins said his advice is similar to what your mom might tell you about a rumor: If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
WBIR wants to help viewers verify photos. Send pictures or posts to us at newstips@wbir.com, and we'll try to answer your question and verify the photo or post.
