We used to have this phrase in our culture, “Seeing is believing.” The implication was that visual evidence (images, videos, etc.) was always the most convincing form of evidence. But now, as the ability to fabricate believable images and videos with AI is becoming mainstream, trusting what we see online is going to become harder and harder (or at least, it should).
Artificial intelligence is a wide-ranging field of study within computer science that designs technology systems to absorb massive amounts of information, and then think and act like humans. Examples include generative tools like ChatGPT, digital assistants like Siri, and even things like GPS. But for the purposes of our media literacy course, we’re going to focus primarily on how to distinguish between AI-generated content and human-generated content.
Although eventually, the world’s major online platforms may automatically detect whether content is AI-generated, for now, the discernment is up to us—and the devil is usually in the details. Here are some things you can look for when trying to tell whether an image or video was created using AI:
Pictures:
- Anomalies like stray pixels or misplaced shapes (for example, a hand with an extra finger; AI is famously bad at hands)
- Text in images is made up of random, unreal letters strung together
Videos:
- Jerky movements, unnatural shadows, flickering lights, or weird textures
- Objects appearing and disappearing or morphing unexpectedly
- Sound that doesn’t match lip movement or onscreen action
Text:
- Vocab and complexity that are not typical for the purported author
- Repetition of words or phrases or robotic tone
(Tools like Copyleaks and Hive AI Detector can identify AI-generated content with about 90% accuracy.)
There are many things we could talk about with regard to AI, but here’s why literacy and discernment are so important here, particularly for Christians.
- Truth matters. We should care about whether what we’re seeing online is real—not just beautiful, interesting, or fun—because our faith is based on reality, and on what’s actually true (1 Corinthians 15:12-19). After all, Christians follow someone who calls himself “the truth” (John 14:6).
- Information isn’t everything. Some suggest that AI will give us “perfect knowledge,” but having more information doesn’t solve all our problems. King Solomon, the wisest man to ever live, said, “With much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief” (Eccl 1:18 NIV).
Christians shouldn’t fear AI because it can’t compete with God’s perfect and complete knowledge, but we need to use wisdom and moral discernment to evaluate how we use it. Beware of the dehumanizing potential of AI and lean into what makes us human (like our relationships with God and others).