AI or not? A five-minute checklist for any picture
The short answer
Work down six steps and stop at the first that settles it: get the original file, read what it says about itself, look for camera records, score how it looks, check where it came from, and then word your answer for what you actually know. The first two steps can be certain. The rest are evidence, and "not AI" is never something a file check can prove.
This is the short version of our longer guide: what to do when you have one picture and a few minutes. The Is this AI or not? page does steps 2 to 4 for you.
1. Get the original file
A screenshot, a chat copy or a social post has usually lost its metadata, and the metadata is the strongest evidence there is. Ask the sender for the file itself, or download it from the first place it appeared. If all you have is a screenshot, skip to step 4 and expect less certainty.
2. Read what the file says
Look for a prompt, a ComfyUI workflow, Content Credentials, an AI label or a generator named in the Software field. If one is there, you have your answer for that file. Our test found one in about one AI picture in four (34 of 142), so finding nothing means little.
3. Look for camera records
A make and model, a lens, shutter time, aperture, ISO and the exact moment of the shot point to a photograph. They can be copied onto any picture, and a real photo can be edited after, so this is strong evidence, not proof. If the file also declares an AI edit (Apple's Clean Up does), the answer is "partly AI".
4. Score how it looks
With no statement in the file, a detector can only estimate. Read the band, not only the number: in our test, pictures that scored 80 or more were AI 89% of the time, those between 35 and 65 only 67%, and those under 35 were still AI 14% of the time. Mostly flat-color art, such as anime, fools detectors, so ignore a score on it.
5. Check the source
- Who posted it first, and when?
- Does a reverse image search find an older or larger copy?
- Does the story around it fit: place, date, light, the people shown?
For a person's photo, this step matters more than the score: a stolen real photo passes every AI check. See checking a profile photo.
6. Word the answer for what you know
| What you found | What you can say |
|---|---|
| The file names a generator | "This file says it was made by X." |
| Camera records, nothing about AI | "It looks like a camera photo; I found no sign of AI." |
| A high score and nothing else | "A detector rates it very likely AI. That is an estimate." |
| A middle score, or nothing | "I can't tell." |
Avoid "this is fake" and "this is real". Neither follows from a file check.
Find out whether a picture was made by AI: it reads the prompt, workflow, Content Credentials and invisible watermark in the file, looks for camera records, and estimates how much it looks AI-made. It runs in your browser. Open the AI Image Checker.
Frequently asked questions
What if I only have a screenshot?
You lose the file evidence, so the answer can only be an estimate from how the picture looks. Say so, and try to find the original or the first post.
Which step catches the most?
For AI pictures that still carry their data, step 2. For stolen real photos, step 5. A score (step 4) is the least certain of the checks.
Is five minutes enough?
For a first answer, yes. For anything with consequences, such as a news photo or an accusation, treat the checklist as a start and keep checking the source.
Can I trust a green result?
Only as "nothing here points to AI". A stripped AI picture can look the same, and camera records can be copied.