Four tornadoes tore through Michigan last week, killing four people. In the days since, photos of the destruction have flooded social media feeds, but not all of them are real.
- Four tornadoes hit Michigan last week, killing four people.
- AI-generated images of the damage are spreading on social media.
- A local expert says to check hands, words, and edges to spot fakes.
WATCH: How to spot fake AI tornado photos on your social media feed
As images of the storm aftermath circulate online, a St. Johns computer store owner is warning neighbors that many of the photos they're seeing may be AI-generated or doctored, and he says there are ways to tell the difference.
Jason Denovich says the problem is widespread.
"A good majority of the images that you see on Facebook and Instagram are either doctored or not real at all - from AI," Denovich said.
Denovich said the same applies to many of the photos now circulating from the tornado aftermath. He says there are three telltale signs to look for when trying to spot a fake.
"The three things are look at the hands, look at the words and look at the edges," Denovich said.
He explained that AI often stumbles in those areas, adding an extra finger to a hand, misspelling words on signs or objects, or distorting edges and lines in a scene.
"At first glance, AI photos usually look really good. But after you take about 10 seconds to look at it, usually the devil's in the details," Denovich said.
I showed a mix of images to St. Johns neighbor Emily Kendall to see if she could tell which were real and which were AI-generated. Some were authentic photos of the devastation in Union City from FOX 47 News, while others were created using AI.
After guessing one image was real, Kendall learned it was actually AI-generated.
"Is it really?!" Kendall said.
Denovich says convincing AI images like these can be dangerous, fueling misinformation and distorting people's sense of reality. He urges neighbors to take a close look at any image before sharing it.
Kendall said the experience gave her pause.
"Oh, that's sad. That one I would believe. AI's scary," Kendall said.
Her initial reaction to seeing the fake images captured a question many people are asking.
"Why would you create fake images of devastation?" Kendall said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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