Advanced technology can be used to create compelling and sophisticated fake images which can be misleading. Artificial intelligence and widely available editing tools that allow colour saturation or beautification, for example, can make it tricky. At first glance a photo might look realistic, but if it seems remarkable, extraordinary or unbelievable, take a closer look and use your common sense to decide whether the events depicted are plausible.

Look out for anything that raises suspicions, particularly a light source that casts no shadows or shadows in places where you would not expect them to be. Read image captions and check whether the photo carries a disclaimer saying it’s meant to be satirical. Essentially, you’re looking for anything that doesn’t seem quite right.

Checklist: Evaluating images

Use the following checklist to help you determine whether an image is genuine, altered or fake.

Is it a poor-quality photo?

Look out for unusual grainy or blurry spots that could mean that the image is a photograph of a screen or monitor.

Is the image satirical?

Satirical material often has a caption or disclaimer noting that the image was made for satirical purposes and not to be taken seriously.

Do any of the people look like cardboard cutouts?

Watch out for thin white outlines around people or objects. This is often a sign that an image has been crudely photoshopped.

Are there any patches of blurriness?

Unusual contrasts in the same image such as patches of blurriness and sharpness can be a telltale sign that something isn't right.

Does anyone in the image have extra fingers, arms, legs?

The quality of AI-generated images is always improving but extra limbs or fingers, unnatural hairlines and the depiction of something implausible are giveaways that the image is false.

Where is the light coming from? Are there any strange reflections?

Examine the light source's direction and be sure that shadows fall on the opposite side. Unusual shadows or lack of shadows can indicate an image is false. If there are reflective surfaces in the picture, such as mirrors, glass or water, check that any reflections match the picture.

Are there any landmarks or signs that provide clues?

Look for clues that might indicate that an image is false. For example, landmarks, uniforms, car number plates, clocks or weather can be used to verify if an image is authentic, while inconsistencies could be a sign of a false image.

Does the caption match the image?

A genuine image might be accompanied by a caption that presents the picture in the wrong context. This counts as false information. Note, an image with a caption that clearly states the the picture was created using AI does not necessarily count as false information.

"Photobot" by RMIT is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0

Tips for spotting false information: Images

Module 2: Information disorder

Checklist: Evaluating images