How to spot AI-generated images online

Look for watermarks

Many AI-generated images include visible watermarks, often placed in a corner. Others contain invisible identifiers embedded in the image data. Google, for example, uses its SynthID system to insert hidden watermarks into images created by its Gemini model. Users can upload an image to Gemini on the web and ask whether it was made by AI, allowing the system to detect the SynthID marker if present.

Reverse image search

Reverse image searches can quickly reveal whether an image has been flagged as AI-generated. By right-clicking an image and selecting "Search with Google Lens," users may see warnings in search results. Google and OpenAI have begun embedding metadata into AI-generated images, which can appear as labels during image searches, according to Android Authority.

Another labeling system is developed by the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity, supported by companies including OpenAI, Adobe, and Google. Websites such as Content Credentials allow users to upload images for analysis to check for evidence of AI creation. While these checks do not guarantee authenticity, they can identify many AI-generated images and, in some cases, indicate which model produced them.

A person uses AI chatbot DeepSeek. Photo from Pexels

Check image quality

Image specifications can also be revealing. Tech site PCMag notes that AI-generated images are usually compressed and produced at relatively low resolutions. High-resolution images with minimal compression, particularly RAW files, are unlikely to be AI-generated. By contrast, low-quality JPEG files, such as those at 720p resolution, fall within the typical output range of AI image generators.

Look beyond the main subject

AI can often produce a convincing main subject, but background details tend to expose weaknesses. According to Popular Science, AI-generated scenes may include logical errors such as staircases leading nowhere, misplaced architectural features, or doors that do not connect to functional spaces. These inconsistencies occur because AI systems imitate visual patterns rather than understand real-world physics and spatial logic.

Text remains one of the clearest indicators of AI-generated imagery. Printed or handwritten words are often blurry, distorted, or nonsensical. Letters may appear readable at a glance but break down under closer inspection. Images containing large amounts of clear, consistently rendered text are less likely to be AI-generated.

Watch out for multiple red flags

No single sign is enough to confirm that an image was created by AI. However, experts say that when several red flags appear together, the likelihood increases. In the absence of a verifiable original source, users are advised to treat online images with caution and seek confirmation from trusted outlets before accepting them as genuine.