Fact check: How do I spot AI-generated images?

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As AI technology continues to improve, distinguishing between authentic and AI-generated images is becoming increasingly difficult.Image: Mateusz Slodkowski/SOPA Images/IMAGOAdvertisement

Anyone with an internet connection and access to an artificial intelligence (AI) tool can create photorealistic images within seconds, for free or for very little money, and then spread them on social networks at breakneck speed.

The tools used to create AI-generated images are improving rapidly, reducing the number of obvious AI errors  – often referred to as AI hallucinations – and making it increasingly difficult for users to determine whether a viral image depicts a real event.

Gone are the days when AI tools routinely produced images of public figures with four fingers, an excessive amount of teeth or unnatural body proportions.

An additional challenge is that while many images are entirely AI-generated, others are real photos that have been partially altered using AI.

This AI-manipulated image of a Hitler look-alike allegedly attending a 2026 World Cup match garnered millions of views on social mediaImage: XHere's one example: an authentic broadcast image from the 2026 World Cup in which a fan was replaced by an Adolf Hitler lookalike.

Of course, the image was actually created using an OpenAI-powered tool.

So how can you spot AI-generated images? DW Fact check offers tips to help you navigate today's information landscape.

Look closely at the picture

There a several tell-tale signs that give away that this image was generated with the help of AI, most notably gibberish-filled textImage: XYou may remember the story of a Syrian teenager who helped stop a knife attack in the German city of Hamburg in 2025.

As the story spread, conflicting accounts of the incident emerged on social media, along with AI-generated images like the one above.

The image looks authentic at first glance, but if you zoom in and examine it carefully, you'll find obvious inconsistencies.

That's why it's important to take your time and inspect the details. Common AI errors might be hidden in the background, including distorted objects and gibberish-filled text.

Putin is supposed to have knelt down in front of Xi Jinping, but a closer looks shows that the picture is fakeImage: Twitter/DWIf your device doesn't allow you to zoom in far enough, online tools can help.

A tool we often use at DW Fact check is Forensically, a free online photo forensics platform that includes a magnifier and other features for examining images closely.

Think about the context

Remember the Hitler lookalike from above? A supporter resembling the Nazi dictator would almost certainly have attracted immediate attention from broadcasters, stadium officials and other spectators.

Fact check: How do I spot AI images?<br>To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

Yet no reputable media organizations reported such a stir, and no fans in the stadium shared posts showing the lookalike from a different perspective.

This example highlights a key verification technique: move beyond the pixels and ask yourself whether the event itself makes sense.

One way of doing that is checking whether the apparent event has been covered by trustworthy news organizations.

If an image appears to show a highly unusual or controversial incident, but there is no evidence of it in credible reporting, that should raise a red flag.

You can also look at who's posting and sharing the image. If the account often shares AI-generated material or appears to have no connection to the event itself, it's wise to treat the image with caution.

Find the image source

If you're unsure whether an image is real or generated by AI, try to find its source.

One way to do this is by conducting a so-called reverse image search. Instead of searching with keywords, you can upload an image to tools like Google Imagesor TinEye.

These tools can help answer several questions:

When was the image first uploaded?

On which platforms is the image being shared?

What are users saying about it in comments and posts?

Have any reputable fact-checkers already verified the image?

Of course, some AI-generated images may be brand new and therefore produce few or no results.

But manipulated images are often based on older, authentic pictures. In those cases, a reverse search can reveal the original image and provide important context.

If you find that an image has already been fact-checked, one way to assess the credibility of the article or video is to see whether the organization is certified by the International Fact Checking Network (IFCN).

The IFCN assesses fact-checkers against a...