I am pleased to have worked with Reuters fact-checking to help determine if an image is AI-generated. It is important to increase digital literacy so people can spot when AI is being used to deceive them. In politics in particular, generative AI has become a weapon of propaganda and disinformation. It seeks to undermine audiences’ understanding and opinions. We must continue to wage war against the use of deepfakes, especially in a political arena.
I am always happy to lend my expertise to fact-checking images and will continue to do so.
https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/new-york-subway-fire-victim-misidentified-online-2024-12-27
you can fact-check images for yourself by being critical of the media you consume. Look at all of the elements, the background as well as the foreground. See if something doesn’t fit. Gone are the days of looking for the number of fingers. Fact-checking now relies on more details than just looking at hands. Some generative AI images are too polished and sharp, some have specific artifacts, but they all have little tells. Look for things like floating parts, repeating patterns or parts that melt.
Remember, if something is too good to be true, it probably is. Some images are very obvious, others are more challenging. The image of the woman, for example, has none of the classic generative AI “tells”. It is made using a different system that specializes in faces. StyleGAN2 is an older AI but you can test it, and your fact-checking for yourself at thispersondoesnotexist.com. The trump image was easier. The pants, the eyes, the hands, but also the composition which does not fit images of that age. The name of the “artist” was also a dead giveaway! Always check images for yourself and learn to read the tells of AI images. The best way is to practice!
List of Additional Fact Checking Links:
www.reuters.com/fact-check/arabic/43HRUINGSZPZVIR2KPW5IDQMPY-2025-04-03/
www.reuters.com/fact-check/arabic/UFEZARY6RFJYNJSCKPPLHFN2WQ-2025-03-12/
www.reuters.com/fact-check/arabic/INZKVTZOLRLFLEYAWUXJZZZQGM-2025-04-03/
www.reuters.com/fact-check/arabic/Q6UASFE53VPILGAZ36EGLIYR6A-2025-05-08/
www.reuters.com/fact-check/arabic/DLCWXUI7BJJYZJXFEPCXKZNDG4-2025-04-23/
www.reuters.com/fact-check/arabic/3P23QTXXEBJSTHGGK2K5M7NQIE-2025-04-10/
https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/arabic/N75F36TWUZLODDN2XKQNXRKTO4-2025-05-23
Shahrouz Tariq, a researcher at the Digital Research Authority (Data 61) at the Australian National Science Agency and specialised in electronic security and artificial intelligence, said that the picture carries indications of manipulation.
“The lighting and shadows around the plane are not as consistent as expected in a normal way. There is no natural reflection of fire on the runway if we take into account the intensity of the fire. The location of the name “Yemeni” on the plane is strange and overlaps with the windows of the plane compared to its location in the real pictures of the plane.
Jay Rosenbaum, an artificial intelligence researcher and a doctorate from the Royal Australian Institute of Technology, said that the passenger windows are strangely configured and the lines of some panels on the fuselage appear to be disconnected in a way that appears in the image produced by artificial intelligence.
“The logo of Yemeni Airlines is usually under the windows, but even when it is at the top, it is not as close to the windows as shown in this picture. There are two lines for the plane door, but they don’t meet at the top. The flames and smoke look cinematic… And the plane is rather small.” (Translated by apple translate)
The Sabreen News platform did not respond to a request for comment from Reuters.
https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/arabic/GMPF5NSXVVO7VASRKVXTICMQTY-2025-05-23
In response to requests for comment from Reuters, the White House said by email that “the picture is false,” while the media office of the Syrian presidency said that “the image is designed with artificial intelligence.”
J. said. Rosenbaum, a researcher in the field of artificial intelligence and a doctorate degree from the Royal Australian Institute of Technology, said that the image is produced by artificial intelligence as it shows strange edges on the edges of Trump’s suit and the law, adding, “This is not how Trump usually smiles, and the location of the thumb and other fingers is not normal, and the flag to the right seems to be true.”
He added that the real photos of the meeting show Trump and Sharia in two lighter-coloured suits and the place of their meeting looks different in the circulating picture from the real one.
Hu Shu, an assistant professor in the Department of Computer and Information Technology and director of the Machine Learning Laboratory at the American University of Bardo, said that there are noticeable distortions in the image, including the presence of confusion around Trump’s hair and nails, indicating that the image is false.