By REBECCA RUTHERFORD
Los Alamos
For the Los Alamos Daily Post

Scrolling social media can be fun and all, but do you think you can tell something created by A.I. from something real?

In today’s world it is getting increasingly hard to do so, when A.I. resources are so much more accessible.

Here is an example:

Example A.I. Generated Post. Courtesy image

I have been seeing a trend lately of Facebook pages starting off as entertainment pages (This page was some kind of history and archaeology page)  and then getting taken over to spam A.I. garbage to the existing page’s followers.

Example of link in A.I. post

And of course the link is always in the comments. Any time I see “link in comments” I immediately decide it’s a scam. These clickbait posts try to use your emotions and sense of curiosity to get you to click.

The link goes to a generic, newly created junk URL landing page. Clicking the link might just take you to a page filled with scammy ads, but it could also try to steal your login credentials or financial or other personal information. Whatever it is, you can bet it’s not good. 

The rise of A.I. has made it even easier to make posts like this and to make them look realistic. While this one looks fairly scammy to me, they are improving and getting better every day.  On social media you need to question everything, misinformation is everywhere, and you need to stop and think before you click any links.  One wrong click could get you a lot more than you bargained for. 

What are some tips to identify A.I. generated art?

• • • • • • • Check captions, some social media require A.I. art to be labeled, though not always.
            • Look for inconsistencies, like distorted features, strange hand placements, blurry areas, etc.
            • Other tip offs could be repeated patterns, overly perfect details and unnatural lighting.

Just be aware that A.I. generated posts are getting to be more and more common, and stop and evaluate, don’t just blindly click that link!

Stay safe online, watch out for A.I. created posts on sites like Facebook, Instagram, etc.

Editor’s note: Rebecca Rutherford works in information technology at Los Alamos National Laboratory.