Beginner · 09
Spotting AI fakes
AI can make convincing photos, voices and articles. How to slow down, check the source and not get fooled.
5 min read · Tap underlined words for a definition
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can now produce a realistic photo of an event that never happened, clone a voice from a few seconds of audio, or write a fake news article in any style. A fake picture or video of a real person is called a deepfake.
Looking for glitches isn't enough
Extra fingers and melted text used to be giveaways. Newer models rarely make those mistakes, so "it looks real" proves very little.
The better question is not "does it look fake?" but "where did it come from?"
The three-question check
Who posted it first? A named news organisation, or an anonymous account created last month?
Is anyone else reporting it? Real big events get covered by several independent sources within hours.
Does it want you angry or scared? Content designed to make you share fast deserves the slowest look.
A shocking video of a politician is going viral. What's the most reliable first check?
Voice clones and scams
Scammers use cloned voices of family members asking for money urgently. Agree a family code word, and if a call feels off, hang up and call back on a number you know.
Labels and watermarks
Some tools now add invisible watermarks or signed "content credentials" (the C2PA standard) that record how an image was made. They help when present, but their absence proves nothing.
Before you drift off
- Realism is no longer evidence. Ask where content came from.
- Check who posted first and whether independent sources confirm it.
- Use a family code word against voice-clone scams.
Terms in this lesson
Go deeper, free and open
- News Literacy Project · News Literacy Project · Free resources
- C2PA: Content Credentials · Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity
- Ethics of AI (free course) · University of Helsinki
That's the lesson
Spotting AI fakes · 5 min
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