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Digital Literacy: Evaluating Electronic Sources and Safely Engaging Online

Evaluating Images & Videos

Typewriter with ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE typed out in all capital lettersThe growing popularity of artificial intelligence (AI) in recent years has led to the creation of an increased number of misleading images and videos (also known as "deep fakes"). These deceptive images and videos can quickly spread through social media and other methods, and many people are duped by their content. Some of this misleading content is intended as a joke or just for fun, but other content can be harmful to reputations and safety.

It can be possible to identify AI created visual content (also known as "generative AI"), it can be helpful to inspect the images and videos and ask basic questions:

  • Are some image details fuzzy, blurry, or difficult to read when you should be able to?
  • Do people and animals have extra or missing limbs, fingers, or other body parts?
  • Do the images move in unnatural ways?
  • Does written text appear to be written in an incoherent language? (Please keep in mind that there are many languages with different alphabets that may look unfamiliar to you but are correct!)
  • Does anything just not seem right?

If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, you may have encountered a fake image or video. Take a closer look at what you see.

As AI improves and people learn new ways to use these tools to create more realistic images and audio, you can't always rely only on your own eyes. How can you protect yourself from this false content and spot a fake? Critical thinking! Here are some critical thinking questions you can ask yourself when you see online images and videos:

  • Who? -- Who created the image or video? Was it created by a trusted source?
  • What? -- What is being presented in the video or image? Is it overly biased or sound too good to be true?
  • When? -- When was the video or image created? Does what you see align with the time period it is from?
  • Where? -- Where is this information coming from? Can you track down the original source or verify the source?
  • Why? -- Why was this image or video created? Is it intended as a joke or fact?
  • How? -- How do you know this is real? What evidence do you have?

It's important to remember that you should never accept videos, images, or information in general at face value. Everything should be evaluated! 

Fun tips!

Perform a reverse image search by right clicking on a image and using tools such as Google Lens to see other places an image appears online. If you encounter an image or a video that shocks you or makes you feel strong emotions, make sure to check for red flags and investigate before believing what you see. Still unsure? Ask your teacher or a librarian for help.

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