Does a photo shared on X truly show two heavily armed men waiting in line at a fast-food restaurant? No, that's not true: Several AI detectors found substantial evidence to suggest the image was fake. Garbled text and abnormalities in human features also indicated it was created using AI.
The photo was posted on X on September 24, 2024, (archived here) with a caption that read:
They shouldn't even be allowed anywhere near a fast food joint.
This is how the post appeared at the time of writing:
(Source: X screenshot taken Thu Sept 27 07:21:06 2024 UTC)
Visual clues that the image is AI-generated
Several aspects of the image posted with the claim on X indicated computer programs or AI had generated it. For example, a closer look at the menu showed that it did not contain actual words or letters but garbled characters:
(Source: X screenshot taken Fri Sept 27 19:26:08 2024 UTC)
Similarly, a foot shown in the background of the image appeared to have two heels:
(Source: X screenshot taken Fri Sept 27 1209:26:00 2024 UTC)
These inconsistencies are known as artifacts. As PC Mag reported in June 2024 (archived here):
Because artificial intelligence is piecing together its creations from the original work of others, it can show some inconsistencies close up. When you examine an image for signs of AI, zoom in as much as possible on every part of it. Stray pixels, odd outlines, and misplaced shapes will be easier to see this way.
AI also generally doesn't work well with pores or naturally occurring imperfections, such as those seen in human faces. In the photo on X, the men's faces were smooth and seemingly filtered:
(Source: X screenshot taken Fri Sept 27 20:14:41 2024 UTC)
Online tools suggest the image was likely generated using AI
Lead Stories ran the image through three AI detectors on September 27, 2024: Hive Moderation, AI or Not and Illuminarty. Each suggested it was created using AI:
Hive Moderation determined the image was 99.9 percent "likely to contain AI-generated or deepfake content."
(Source: Hive Moderation screenshot taken Fri Sept 27 at 19:28:47 2024 UTC)
AI or NOT determined that the image was "Likely AI generated."
(Source: AI or NOT screenshot taken Fri Sept 27 at 19:44:43 2024)
Illuminarty put the probability that AI generated the image at 33 percent.
(Source: Illuminarty screenshot taken Fri Sept 27 at 19:43:12 2024 UTC)
Other Lead Story debunks related to AI technology can be read here. Lead Story fact checks about deepfakes can be read here.
