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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →You usually cannot tell whether a news image or video is AI-generated just by looking at it. Treat visual oddities and detector results as clues, then trace the item to its earliest available source, check its provenance if possible, and corroborate the event with reliable independent reporting. Until the claim checks out, do not share it as fact.
Start with the claim, not just the image
A genuine photo can be paired with a false caption, an old clip can be presented as new, and an AI-generated image can depict an event that never happened. Verification therefore has two separate questions: how the file was made or edited, and whether the post’s claim about what it shows is true.
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Pause before resharing. Note the account, caption, date, claimed location, and where you encountered the item. The Associated Press advises against sharing material whose authenticity you do not know, particularly when a startling or emotional post is pushing you to react quickly. AP’s guide to identifying AI-generated false news recommends checking before amplifying it.
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Look for visual clues—but do not treat them as proof
Inspect the image or video for details that seem inconsistent, then use those details to guide further checks. Possible warning signs include:
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- Actions or physical interactions that do not make sense.
- Objects that change, appear, or disappear between video frames.
- Speech that does not match the speaker’s mouth movements.
- Distorted or inconsistent details, including text.
- Lighting or shadows that do not fit the scene.
- An unusually polished or artificial-looking appearance.
These clues can prompt scrutiny, but none proves that media is synthetic. Obvious image-generation errors have become less common as the technology has improved, and real footage can also look strange, blurry, or heavily edited. The absence of glitches does not authenticate a clip.
Trace the image or video to an earlier source
Finding where an image appeared first can reveal that it is old, unrelated to the caption, or detached from its original context. Search the image itself, not only the words in the post. For a video, use a representative still frame as the search image.
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- Run a reverse image search. For a video, capture a clear frame that shows a distinctive scene or subject, then search that still.
- Compare earlier appearances. Check whether the same image or clip appears in older posts, articles, or accounts with a different date, location, or explanation.
- Look for the earliest available source. Search for an original photographer, eyewitness, organization, or account, while remembering that an early post is not automatically authentic.
- Check the surrounding context. Compare the post’s date and claimed location with what the earlier source says and what can be independently confirmed.
Google’s Gemini guidance also recommends reverse image search and, when available, checking metadata from the original file rather than a screenshot.
Check provenance when the original file is available
Some files carry C2PA Content Credentials: a cryptographically bound record of provenance assertions. Depending on the tools involved, credentials can record a file’s origin, modifications, and AI use. A compatible viewer can help check whether a credential is intact and who signed it.
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Credentials tell you about a file’s recorded history; they do not certify that the scene or caption is true. C2PA says its system does not make a value judgment about the truth of the information recorded. Its specifications describe provenance as optional, so a file without credentials is not automatically suspicious. Credentials may also be unavailable if you have only a screenshot or a copy from which the original provenance was lost.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Use verification tools for the signals they actually check
Tools can help inspect a file, but they cover particular signals and supported formats—not every AI model, edit, or manipulation. Read a result narrowly: a match can be evidence of a particular provenance signal, while no match does not prove that the media is genuine.
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| Tool | What the cited source says it checks | What the result does—and does not—tell you |
|---|---|---|
| Gemini verification | Google’s help page says signed-in users can check supported images, videos, and audio for SynthID and Content Credentials. Compatibility is limited to supported credential versions and products. | A detected signal can provide provenance information. No signal does not establish that media is genuine, and support is not universal. |
| OpenAI content verification | OpenAI’s tool supports image and audio files and checks for supported provenance signals tied to OpenAI tools. | A positive signal suggests origin from OpenAI tools, not that the file’s later use or accompanying claim is accurate. No signal can mean another provider was used, a signal was stripped or degraded, or the file predates signal support; this is not a general detector for all synthetic media. |
The Associated Press describes AP Verify as a newsroom dashboard combining tools such as reverse image search, frame-by-frame video analysis, social listening, and team collaboration. That description presents a newsroom workflow; it does not establish AP Verify as a consumer product.
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Corroborate what the post says happened
Check whether reputable news outlets, official agencies, eyewitnesses, or other independent sources report the same event in the same place and time. Look for primary material when available, such as a statement or record from a relevant agency. Multiple independent confirmations are more useful than several posts repeating the same unverified source. AP’s verification advice recommends looking for multiple verified sources.
Keep the provenance question separate from the event question. A credential may show that a file was made or edited with a particular tool, but it cannot prove that the post’s caption is accurate. Conversely, an authentic-looking file is not enough to establish its date, location, or context.
Quick Recap
Decide what to do when the evidence is incomplete
- If you find an earlier, unrelated use: Do not share the new caption as fact; explain the mismatch only if you can point to the earlier context.
- If a provenance signal appears: Treat it as evidence about the file’s recorded origin or history, then verify the event claim separately.
- If a tool finds no signal: Do not treat that result as authentication. The tool may not support the file, format, provider, or surviving provenance data.
- If no reliable source confirms the claim: Hold off on sharing it as fact. Uncertainty is not proof of fabrication, but it is a reason not to amplify an unverified claim.
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