To tell if a picture is AI generated, look at the details first, then check where the image came from. Modern generators are very good, so no single clue is proof. But a few visual habits and two or three quick checks catch most fakes. This guide explains what to look at and where detection tools fall short.
How to tell if an image is AI-generated: visual clues
Hands and fingers. Extra, missing or oddly joined fingers are less common than before, but still appear, especially when hands hold objects.
Text and signs. Look at shop signs, labels and posters. Garbled letters or nonsense words are a classic giveaway.
Skin and hair. Skin that is too smooth, with no pores, or hair strands that blend into the background.
Eyes and teeth. Mismatched reflections in the eyes, uneven pupils or teeth that merge.
Backgrounds. Objects that melt into each other, repeated patterns, or crowds where faces look similar.
Light and shadows. Shadows pointing in different directions, or light that does not match the scene.
Jewellery and accessories. Earrings that do not match, glasses that fuse with the face, straps that go nowhere.
Checks beyond your eyes
Reverse image search. Upload the image to a reverse search tool. If it appears nowhere before a recent date, or only on AI art sites, be suspicious.
Look at the source. Who posted it first? Is there a photographer, a caption, other photos from the same event?
Check the metadata. Some images carry content credentials or metadata that name the tool used. Missing metadata proves nothing, because it is easily stripped, but present metadata can confirm it.
Zoom in. Look at the edges of objects and fine textures at full size. Details often break down when enlarged.
What about AI detectors?
Detection tools can be a useful extra signal, but they are not reliable on their own. They can miss recent models, and they sometimes flag real photos. Treat the result as one clue, never as proof, and combine it with the checks above.
Why it keeps getting harder
Models improve every few months, and many of the old tells, such as bad hands, are fading. The most reliable signal is now context: does the story around the image make sense, and can you find the original source?
If you want to see how generated images look
One of the best ways to learn the tells is to generate a few yourself. Try the AI image generator, make some pictures with different prompts and then zoom in with the checklist above.
