Professor Timberwolf's Detection Guide by Wendy Stover

Extra or Missing Fingers

stoverwk — 2024-05-20 18:04:34 UTC

AI often struggles with hands, sometimes generating images with extra or missing fingers. Look closely at the number of fingers visible.

Strange Finger Positions

stoverwk — 2024-05-20 18:04:34 UTC

Pay attention to the positioning of fingers. AI-generated images might show fingers bending in unnatural ways or positions that look physically impossible.

Inconsistent Finger Sizes

stoverwk — 2024-05-20 18:04:34 UTC

In some AI images, you may find fingers that have inconsistent sizes or proportions. Compare finger sizes to check for such anomalies.

Unnatural Blurriness

stoverwk — 2024-05-20 18:04:34 UTC

Watch for backgrounds that seem unnaturally blurry compared to the main subject. It can be an indicator of AI generation.

Distorted Scenery

stoverwk — 2024-05-20 18:04:34 UTC

Backgrounds in AI-generated images can sometimes appear distorted, with warped buildings or landscapes that don't quite make sense.

Inconsistent Lighting

stoverwk — 2024-05-20 18:04:34 UTC

Check for lighting inconsistencies between the subject and background. AI may generate images where these don't match up correctly.

Unnatural Hair Flow

stoverwk — 2024-05-20 18:04:34 UTC

AI struggles with the complexity of human hair, often rendering it unnaturally stiff or free-flowing. Look for odd hair behavior.

Mismatched Hair Strands

stoverwk — 2024-05-20 18:04:34 UTC

Sometimes hair strands in AI images do not align properly, giving a messy and unrealistic look.

Inconsistent Hair Colors

stoverwk — 2024-05-20 18:04:34 UTC

Look for patches of hair that seem to have inconsistent or unnatural color changes.

Excessive Sharpness

stoverwk — 2024-05-20 18:04:34 UTC

AI images can sometimes look overly sharp compared to natural photos. Examine the edges and details closely.

Over-Rendered Textures

stoverwk — 2024-05-20 18:04:34 UTC

Images often include both: A blurry background, a crisp and smooth foreground, or a flucuating combination of the two. This odd appearance is most obvious when it comes to cartoon-like artworks created by artificial intelligence, but it has plenty into ostensibly photorealistic creations as well.

Artificial-Looking Features

stoverwk — 2024-05-20 18:04:34 UTC

AI-generated features might look artificially perfect or excessively detailed, compared to natural ones.

Misplaced Rings and Earrings

stoverwk — 2024-05-20 18:04:35 UTC

AI might generate accessories like rings and earrings that don't sit correctly or are missing!

Inconsistent Accessories

stoverwk — 2024-05-20 18:04:35 UTC

At first glance, the picture looks real. However, it’s highly unlikely to see the Pope wearing such a jacket in real life. And if you take a closer look, you’ll notice some odd details, like the blurry engraving on the cross and the unusual choice to wear it over a down jacket.

Weird Scarves and Buttons

stoverwk — 2024-05-20 18:04:35 UTC

AI sometimes bungles accessories like scarves and buttons. Look for these items in odd places or positions.

Unreadable Text

stoverwk — 2024-05-20 18:04:35 UTC

AI has trouble generating legible text. Look for signs and labels in images that are garbled or unreadable.

Inconsistent Fonts

stoverwk — 2024-05-20 18:04:35 UTC

Text in AI images might switch between different fonts or sizes arbitrarily.

Nonsense Writing

stoverwk — 2024-05-20 18:04:35 UTC

AI text can sometimes consist of meaningless strings of letters. This is a clear indicator of an AI-generated image.

Bias

stoverwk — 2024-05-20 18:04:35 UTC

Ideally, when an AI system is repeatedly asked to generate an image of “a successful person,” the collection of resulting images would show a diverse set of people... but it usually doesn't.

Cultural Misrepresentations

stoverwk — 2024-05-20 18:04:35 UTC

A "mexican person" is usually a man in a sombrero.

Mismatched Elements

stoverwk — 2024-05-20 18:04:35 UTC

AI might generate clothing or accessories that don't consistently match the rest of the outfit or aren't realistic.

Missing Parts

stoverwk — 2024-05-20 18:04:35 UTC

Can you spot what's missing from this "image" of Katy Perry?

Warped Objects

stoverwk — 2024-05-20 18:04:35 UTC

Look for warped objects in the image. AI sometimes distorts common items like chairs, tables, or phones.

Abnormal Accessories

stoverwk — 2024-05-20 19:08:44 UTC

Can you spot what's wrong with this image? Hint: Compare the size of the chair to the table.

Stereotypes

stoverwk — 2024-05-20 19:34:20 UTC

Ask an AI image generator to give you a “doctor” and it’ll produce a white man in a lab coat and stethoscope. You’ll have to give it more specifics in order to generate an example that reflects the diversity of the real world, and even then half the time you’ll just wind up with a more specific stereotype.

Errors with Glasses

stoverwk — 2024-05-20 20:14:05 UTC

Look closely at the frames of glasses for inconsistencies. Notice how distorted the right side is.

Can you spot the mistake?

stoverwk — 2024-05-20 20:16:26 UTC

Look at the frame of the glasses!

stoverwk — 2024-05-20 20:46:53 UTC

Odd One Out

stoverwk — 2024-05-21 19:50:37 UTC

Can you spot the one AI generated image out of the four?

AI or Not? Game

stoverwk — 2025-05-13 13:31:59 UTC