By: Emma Xing

Recently, an AI image of Katy Perry attending the 2024 Met Gala went viral. They all believed the picture was real until they noticed a couple things that were off, such as the carpet in the picture which was actually from the 2018 Met Gala.

This picture had many people fooled and worried that more pictures might just be AI generated. However, there are a couple ways to tell the difference between an AI image and a real image.

The first way is to focus on details. Although the quality of AI pictures are constantly getting better and more accurate, some of them still have errors that give away the picture. This happens because AI takes data from other photos, therefore some details on the face and body may be awkward–looking.

Another method is to check if the picture looks too perfect. AI images sometimes lack details found in real photos, therefore giving the picture an airbrushed effect that makes the picture seem unreal.
This perfection can also include the background of the photo. If the location the photo is taken seems unreal or almost fantasy–like, it is most likely an AI photo.

One last way is to use reverse image search. This will identify other places the photo has been or other photos similar to it on the internet and can be helpful to identify if it’s real or not. A reverse search can also lead you to the original source of the image which could be clearer or have better quality than the original picture.