philip landry staff
As Artificial Intelligence becomes more a part of our digital lives, more questions arise about its role in media and how to accurately detect it. While AI can enhance user experiences, distinguishing between human and AI-created content is increasingly vital.
AI tools help businesses, influencers, and brands save time by producing posts, comments, and even images at scale. AI is used to keep content flowing, tailor posts for audiences, and can even spread misinformation. As AI grows more accessible, so does the challenge of identifying its presence online.
According to the BBC, the best ways for someone to detect and identify AI in media is to pay attention to details, or to do a reverse image search. Similarly, an article put out by the Sante Fe Community College says to look for distorted imagery and watermarks, or to read the comments as AI can sometimes mimic human interaction to farm views, but it isn’t perfect. The most direct way to identify AI as well as misinformation in the media may be just thinking and observing for oneself.
“We’ve always had people who manipulate the story to serve their agenda,” says Dr. Linda Martin, assistant professor of mass communication, “So maybe just old fashioned critical thinking or having a discerning eye… Knowing what good writing is.”
“...just old fashioned critical thinking or having a discerning eye and knowing what good writing is.”
AI influence isn’t limited to social media. Customer service and video content are increasingly AI driven. Many companies are using chatbots to field customer questions, and often rely on pre-set answers, which is why some responses feel automated.
In the film industry AI is powering Deep Fakes technology mostly used to alleviate costs in using computer graphics to change the way an actor looks.
“Deep Fake AI use in movies is now being used to have a character age or be younger and it’s the same person,” says Melissa Remark, assistant professor of English, “In the past the CGI would have been really expensive and with Deep Fake AI technology it’s speeding that up.”
As AI becomes more integrated into social media and our daily lives developing an eye for what’s real versus artificial is essential. Recognizing the patterns of AI-generated content and using verification tools can make it easier to identify content made with AI and understand a changing digital environment.
