Find the AI Picture

Q1. Wildlife and Nature: Poisonous Frogs

Which picture is AI?

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Answer explanation

In this case, the AI-generated image is actually more colorful, though that alone may not tell everything. Another area you can evaluate is the texture and pattern complexity. In the real version, the frog’s spots are much more detailed, whereas the AI version has spots that are much more simplistic.

Q2. Historical Events: The Titantic

Which picture is AI?

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Answer explanation

This comparison is a more obvious one to distinguish, but the AI-generated Titanic still presents visual anomalies worth noting. For example, look at the difference in the ship itself. The Titanic had one mast and four chimneys, as pictured in the real photo, while the AI-generated image shows a ship with three masts and three chimneys. While you may not know this information off the top of your head, a simple comparison search online would reveal these details. The AI-generated image also contains inconsistencies in the light and shadow. You’ll see the front of the ship appears to block the sun’s rays, but these rays reappear in the middle of this ship even as the sun remains behind it.

Q3. People: Students Doing Art Projects

Which picture is AI?

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Answer explanation

While subtle, if you look closely at the children’s arms and hands, many appear misplaced or even missing. Some hands don’t match or align with the respective child, which is also a common error in AI-generated images of people.

Q4. Significant Landmarks: Mount Fuji, Japan

Which picture is AI?

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Answer explanation

AI often adds in details where they don’t exist to enhance the scene, such as the banks of trees, though this would be difficult to detect for most of us. But if you look closely, the landscape in the real photo has much more detail in the branches and leaves.

Q5. Space Exploration: Shuttle Launch

Which picture is AI?

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Answer explanation

This is where our analytical skills come into play. We can uncover crucial clues by focusing on the nuances in lighting and texture. If you zoom in, you will notice how simplistic the shuttle design is in the AI-generated image compared to the real image, which features more complexity in the lines, divots, and shading.

Q6. Cities: Hong Kong at Night

Which picture is AI?

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Answer explanation

A good tip is to look at the background (the mountains) and the foreground (the buildings). You’ll notice inconsistencies, though if you do not immediately know how Hong Kong is laid out, you may not know which is real. The same goes for the building shapes and sizes in the foreground, which are slightly different in each photo. With a little effort, a simple online search of Hong Kong would reveal the truth: The mountain heights are more varied, and the building heights are not accurate in the AI-generated image.

Q7. Natural Phenomena: Aurora Borealis (The Northern Lights)

Which picture is AI?

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Answer explanation

In this case, focus your analysis on the reflections in the water. In the real photo, the reflection matches the lights precisely, including their distinct shapes and directions, whereas the reflection in the AI-generated image appears to have extra pink and green colouring added in.

Q8. Endangered Species: Pangolin

Which picture is AI?

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Answer explanation

When studying these images with your students, you’ll notice that the details – from the scales to the little hairs on the faces – are very well done in both. However, if you look closer and consider our Facial Features tip (we’ll discuss this later in the article), you’ll start to see that AI doesn’t quite capture the pangolin’s eyes and expression in realistic ways. Another thing to check is whether proportions, like the size of the face and limbs, appear realistic. This approach not only helps to sharpen students’ observational skills, but also enhances their understanding of animal biology.

Q9. World History: Ancient Egyptian Papyrus

Which picture is AI?

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Answer explanation

While the AI-generated image may look like it’s showing an aged artefact, AI has – once again – struggled to get the people right. Zoom in on the ancient Egyptian figures and you’ll see missing hands and arms growing out of nowhere. Despite the artefact’s wear and tear over time, the hands and digits would still likely exist, even if faded. A quick study of the hieroglyphs will also prove that they are not actual Egyptian symbols.

Q10. Influential Events and Figures: Women’s Suffrage Movement

Which picture is AI?

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Answer explanation

In this particular example, you spot the difference by examining both the people and the signs they’re holding. In the AI image, the women’s hats and hair are blurred, while the letters and symbols on their signs appear less crisp, jumbled and nonsensical.