Photos and videos manipulated with artificial intelligence are flooding the internet — and many are in bad faith.
Recently, photos and videos from the war with Iran have been manipulated to show devastating damage to U.S. bases overseas. In January, an altered image of a protester being arrested in Minnesota was re-shared on the White House X account.
Erin Kennedy, digital innovation manager at the Mid-Continent Public Library, said internet users need to slow down and reorient the way they think.
“Previously, if you saw a video or an image, you could sort of believe something was true or real,” Kennedy said. “Right now we have to start treating this content almost as we do the written word, where you know, if something's in writing, it doesn't mean that it's true.”
AI verification tools do exist, but Kennedy said they’re not reliable. The Mid-Continent Public Library is hosting workshops to help people learn the basics of AI and media literacy.
Kennedy recommends people utilize the S.I.F.T. method to analyze media content. She also suggests looking for telltale signs, like a photo being taken from a camera angle that doesn’t make sense.
Emily Becker, the community relations manager at the Mid-Continent Public Library, said doing your own critical analysis is important. She also suggested finding trusted sources.
“It's important to find credible sources, like news outlets where, you know, they are already going through those steps,” Becker said.
- Erin Kennedy, digital innovation manager, Mid-Continent Public Library
- Emily Becker, community relations manager, Mid-Continent Public Library
