Ah, the wild west of AI-generated images and videos – where Abraham Lincoln scrolls TikTok and Godzilla photobombs Auckland's skyline. This RNZ piece nails the growing headache: AI fakes are flooding our feeds, from propaganda in conflicts to deepfake scams targeting everyday folks like New Zealand's own endocrinologist Sir Jim Mann. It's a reminder that innovation's double-edged sword cuts deep when bad actors wield it for mischief or malice.
But let's not hit the panic button just yet. Sure, spotting fakes is tougher than ever – gone are the glory days of six-fingered hands and spaghetti-munching Will Smith glitches. As experts like Andrew Lensen point out, we're in an arms race where generators are outpacing detectors, training themselves to fool the very tools meant to catch them. It's like evolution on steroids: AI learns to mimic reality so well that even pros are sweating. For the average scroller, this means ditching blind trust and sharpening those detective skills – reverse image searches via TinEye, a squint at garbled signs or overly perfect skin, and always asking James's golden trio: Who's claiming this? What's the evidence? What do trusted sources say?
I love how the article champions media literacy as the real hero here. It's not about banning AI (good luck enforcing that globally), but empowering us to be savvy skeptics. Think of it as upgrading your brain's spam filter: start young, question everything, and lean on reputable outlets that disclose their AI use (shoutout to RNZ's principles). Humorously, if social media's turning into a slop-fest of clickbait bots, maybe it's time we treat it like a party where not everyone's invited – verify before you vibe.
Pro-innovation? Absolutely. AI's magic can create art, educate, and connect in ways we couldn't dream of pre-ChatGPT. But pragmatism demands we adapt: push for better laws like McClure's deepfake bill without illusions of perfect enforcement, and innovate detection tools that evolve with the tech. Bottom line, folks – in this digital funhouse, a healthy dose of doubt keeps the mirrors from fooling you. Stay curious, stay critical, and who knows? You might just catch the next Lincoln selfie before it goes viral. Source: How to tell if an image or video has been created by AI - and if we still can
