1. 1. Category: Wildlife and Nature

    Poisonous Frogs

    AI-generated images are notorious for including intense colors, which can often be a giveaway that they aren’t real. But this is only sometimes the case. Poisonous frogs are known for vibrant, almost surreal colors and patterns, which may lead one to question even the real photos. Vivid subjects can make it difficult to determine whether something is real simply by looking at colors.
    Option 1: this AI-generated photo has rounded spots; Option 2: this real photo has complex details
    In this case, the AI-generated image is actually more colorful, though that alone may not tell everything. Another area you can evaluate is the texture and pattern complexity. In the real version, the frog’s spots are much more detailed, whereas the AI version has spots that are much more simplistic.

    Daniel/Adobe Stock; Vaclav/Adobe Stock

  2. 2. Category: Historical Events

    The Titanic

    Historical photos have distinct qualities due to the photographic technology of their time. When reviewing these images, look for signs of aging, such as fading or sepia tones, and the style of photography prevalent during that era. AI-generated images may not accurately replicate these.
    Option 1: AI generated photo with incorrect masts and lighting; Option 2: Real image that is historically accurate
    This comparison is a more obvious one to distinguish, but the AI-generated Titanic still presents visual anomalies worth noting. For example, look at the difference in the ship itself. The Titanic had one mast and four chimneys, as pictured in the real photo, while the AI-generated image shows a ship with three masts and three chimneys. While you may not know this information off the top of your head, a simple comparison search online would reveal these details. The AI-generated image also contains inconsistencies in the light and shadow. You’ll see the front of the ship appears to block the sun’s rays, but these rays reappear in the middle of this ship even as the sun remains behind it.

    RobinsonIcious/Adobe Stock; nyiragongo/Adobe Stock

  3. 3. Category: People

    Students Doing Art Projects

    This image is a great example of AI missing the mark on its depictions of people. While the technology continues to advance and create more realistic-looking people, AI still struggles with details like arms and digits.
    Option 1: Real photo; Option 2: AI photo with misplaced hands
    While subtle, if you look closely at the children’s arms and hands, many appear misplaced or even missing. Some hands don’t match or align with the respective child, which is also a common error in AI-generated images of people.

    Jacob Lund/Adobe Stock; AspctStyle/Adobe Stock

  4. 4. Category: Significant Landmarks

    Mount Fuji, Japan

    This is a tough one. Both images of Mount Fuji, the highest mountain in Japan, depict beautiful, vibrant, and realistic-looking scenery. This AI photo is also well done, with seemingly accurate reflections in the water.
    Real vs AI comparison (Mount Fuji) Option 1 is AI and has less detailed leaves
    AI often adds in details where they don’t exist to enhance the scene, such as the banks of trees, though this would be difficult to detect for most of us. But if you look closely, the landscape in the actual version has much more detail in the branches and leaves.

    Rattanapon/Adobe Stock; Phutthiseth/Adobe Stock

  5. 5. Category: Space Exploration

    Shuttle Launch

    At first glance, these launch vehicle images share similar features and patterns, making them difficult to distinguish. The clouds, on the other hand, have rich texture, color, and lighting distinctions that could lead one to believe they’re both real.
    Real vs AI comparison (shuttle launch). Option 2 is AI and shows a simple space shuttle.
    Yet, this is where our analytical skills come into play. We can uncover crucial clues by focusing on the nuances of lighting and texture. If you zoom in, it doesn’t take long to notice how simplistic the shuttle design is in the AI-generated image compared with the real image, which features more complexity in the lines, divots, and shading.

    wasan/Adobe Stock; Ployker/Adobe Stock

  6. 6. Category: Geography

    Hong Kong at Night

    Cityscapes, especially at night, are among the more challenging image types to evaluate. You’ll notice both images have nice, detailed lighting and shadows, though in this example, the real image has much more.
    Real vs AI comparison (Hong Kong at night) Option 2 is AI and is missing buildings
    Another tip is to look at the background (the mountains) and the foreground (the buildings). You’ll notice inconsistencies, though if you do not immediately know how Hong Kong is laid out, you may not know which is real. The same goes for the building shapes and sizes in the foreground, which are slightly different in each photo. With a little effort, a simple online search of Hong Kong would reveal the truth: The mountain heights are more varied, and the building heights are not accurate in the AI-generated image.

    pigprox/Adobe Stock; Iftikhar alam/Adobe Stock

  7. 7. Category: Natural Phenomena

    Aurora Borealis (The Northern Lights)

    In the realm of natural wonders, discerning the real from the artificial here is as challenging as it gets. These displays, with their vibrant, almost unbelievable colors, can blur the lines between reality and fantasy. For students who’ve never personally witnessed such phenomena, discerning the true Northern Lights is no easy feat.
    Real vs AI comparison (Aurora Borealis). Option 1 is AI determined by wavy textures and inaccurate reflections
    Focus your evaluation on the reflections in the water. In the actual photo, the reflection matches the lights precisely, including their distinct shapes and directions, whereas the reflection in the AI-generated image appears to have inconsistent pink and green coloring added in.

    ECrafts/Adobe Stock; Lily/Adobe Stock

  8. 8. Category: Endangered Species

    Pangolin

    The challenge of discerning reality from AI-generated images becomes even more pronounced for students when it involves rare and unfamiliar animals like pangolins, also called scaly anteaters. Their limited exposure to such unique creatures means they often lack a frame of reference for what these animals typically look like, making it harder to spot inaccuracies in artificial representations.
    Real vs AI comparison (Pangolin). Option 1 is AI-generated determined by incorrect eyes and feet
    As you look through these images together, you’ll notice the detail is well done in both versions, from scale details to little hairs on the faces. If you investigate a bit deeper and consider our Facial Features tip, you’ll start to see that AI doesn’t quite capture the pangolin’s eyes and expression in realistic ways. Additionally, check if proportions, like the size of the face and limbs, appear realistic. This approach not only sharpens their observational skills but also enhances their understanding of animal biology.

    Veniamin Kraskov/Adobe Stock; mgkuijpers/Adobe Stock

  9. 9. Category: World History

    Ancient Egyptian Papyrus

    History can be another topic that requires additional inquiry. In these ancient Egyptian papyrus scroll images, both appear to be worn and dated in some way, which would make sense considering these scrolls would be thousands of years old.
    Real vs AI comparison (Egyptian papyrus). Option 2 is AI.
    While the AI-generated image incorporates an aged artifact appearance, you can see, once again, that AI struggled to get the people right. Zoom in to see the hands are missing and arms end out of nowhere. Despite the artifact’s wear and tear over time, the hands and digits would still likely exist, even if faded. Also, a quick analysis of the hieroglyphs shows they are not actual Egyptian symbols.

    Paolo Gallo/Adobe Stock; Paulina/Adobe Stock

  10. 10. Category: Influential Events and Figures

    Women’s Suffrage Movement

    When analyzing images of influential events and figures, especially historical ones, scrutinize the details closely—especially people and facial expressions. Authentic photographs capture natural asymmetry and nuanced features; AI images often look overly symmetrical or subtly distorted. Also consider historical context: clothing, signage, background settings, and the photographic style should align with the period.
    Real vs AI comparison (Women's Suffrage). Option 2 is AI and has illegible text
    In this case, the AI-generated version gives itself away in the faces and signs: faces appear slightly blurred, hair lacks fine detail, and sign letters look jumbled or nonsensical compared with the real photograph.

    George Grantham Bain Collection/Library of Congress; Szalai/Adobe Stock