4 ms·

The images of Spain's floods weren't created by AI. People think they were

10 points by belter 2y ago

easyThrowaway 2y ago
> "Perhaps it’s something about the sheen of the cars and the peculiar roundedness of the shapes, and maybe the lack of obvious damage" Another understated aspect of AI-produced images is that most models have an uncanny ability at mimicking the tonemapping, ISO Sensitivity, aberrations and general image processing features of modern phones and DLSRs - which in the last few years have converged around the default settings and, more generally speaking, aesthetic used by the Camera app on the iPhone. This is de-facto becoming the AI aesthetic. I've noticed that badly shot pictures taken using Halide with the Process Zero enabled (that is, without applying much of the default corrections of my iPhone) feel subconsciously way more "real" than those taken using the Camera app.
drweevil 2y ago
Clicking through to the Social Warming post is well worthwhile. When dealing with AI slop it is important to understand that proclaiming something as Fake without knowing it is just as bad as the other way around. The author of that post explains in detail how to authenticate such an image. In this case he found corroborating evidence. This reminds me very much of Iain M. Banks' Culture series, where this issue appears as a recurring plot element. (It also brings to mind Ronald Reagan's "Trust but verify.")
- drweevil 2y ago
  I should make clear that corroboration from independent sources seems to be the only foolproof way of validating an image. Today, AIs will give us people with 6 fingers, unnaturally shiny cars, etc. And we can still rely of those cues. But that's not going to last long. AI will only get better, so corroboration is the only foolproof way of debunking an AI generated artifact.
- JohnFen 2y ago
  > "Trust but verify." "Trust but verify" is just the diplomatic equivalent of "don't trust". Their meanings are identical. And yes, in the world of genAI, trust becomes impossible. That's the major problem with the technology. It makes having a functioning society even more difficult.

10 points by belter 2y ago

> "Perhaps it’s something about the sheen of the cars and the peculiar roundedness of the shapes, and maybe the lack of obvious damage" Another understated aspect of AI-produced images is that most models have an uncanny ability at mimicking the tonemapping, ISO Sensitivity, aberrations and general image processing features of modern phones and DLSRs - which in the last few years have converged around the default settings and, more generally speaking, aesthetic used by the Camera app on the iPhone. This is de-facto becoming the AI aesthetic. I've noticed that badly shot pictures taken using Halide with the Process Zero enabled (that is, without applying much of the default corrections of my iPhone) feel subconsciously way more "real" than those taken using the Camera app.

drweevil 2y ago

Clicking through to the Social Warming post is well worthwhile. When dealing with AI slop it is important to understand that proclaiming something as Fake without knowing it is just as bad as the other way around. The author of that post explains in detail how to authenticate such an image. In this case he found corroborating evidence. This reminds me very much of Iain M. Banks' Culture series, where this issue appears as a recurring plot element. (It also brings to mind Ronald Reagan's "Trust but verify.")

drweevil 2y ago
I should make clear that corroboration from independent sources seems to be the only foolproof way of validating an image. Today, AIs will give us people with 6 fingers, unnaturally shiny cars, etc. And we can still rely of those cues. But that's not going to last long. AI will only get better, so corroboration is the only foolproof way of debunking an AI generated artifact.
JohnFen 2y ago
> "Trust but verify." "Trust but verify" is just the diplomatic equivalent of "don't trust". Their meanings are identical. And yes, in the world of genAI, trust becomes impossible. That's the major problem with the technology. It makes having a functioning society even more difficult.