Do you think you can tell an AI-generated face from a real one?

Opinion
By published

Spotting an AI-generated face is harder than you might think. How confident are you in your ability?

Conceptual illustration of a victim of deepfake technology.
Do you think you can tell an AI-generated face from a real one? (Image credit: Moor Studio/Getty Images)

With the rapid advances in artificial intelligence, computer-generated images — including hyperrealistic faces — are becoming more common. Many look so convincing it can be hard to tell them apart from real photos.

In a new study, researchers tested people's ability to distinguish images of real faces from AI-generated ones and found that most participants missed most of the AI-generated faces. Even "super-recognizers" — an elite group with exceptionally strong facial-processing abilities — were able to correctly identify fake faces as fake only 41% of the time. Typical recognizers correctly identified only about 30% of the AI-generated faces.

—'I trust AI the way a sailor trusts the sea. It can carry you far, or it can drown you': Poll results reveal majority do not trust AI

—'There's no shoving that genie back in the bottle': Readers believe it's too late to stop the progression of AI

—'I honestly am not sure on this at all': Poll reveals public uncertainty over experimenting on conscious lab-grown 'minibrains'

Elise Poore
Elise Poore
Editorial assistant

Elise studied marine biology at the University of Portsmouth in the U.K. She has worked as a freelance journalist focusing on the aquatic realm.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.