In today's digital landscape, AI-generated content has become ubiquitous, presenting significant challenges in distinguishing fact from fiction, particularly amidst breaking news events. A prime example is the Iran war, where, following attacks by the U.S. and Israel on February 28, researchers observed an unprecedented proliferation of false and misleading images created using artificial intelligence, reaching countless individuals globally.

These fabricated visuals included scenes of bombings that never occurred, images of supposedly captured soldiers, and propaganda videos from Iran depicting President Donald Trump and other figures as blocky, Lego-like miniatures. This ongoing issue underscores the critical need for media literacy, a challenge highlighted by the 10th annual International Fact-Checking Day.

Misinformation propagated by AI is disseminated with astonishing speed from an endless array of sources. From the initial stages of the Iran war, accounts representing all sides of the conflict actively promoted such content. The Institute for Strategic Dialogue, an organization dedicated to tracking disinformation and online extremism, has investigated social media posts related to the Iran conflict. Their findings revealed a network of approximately two dozen X (formerly Twitter) accounts, many with blue check verification, that consistently posted AI-generated content, collectively garnering over one billion views since the conflict began.

Given the increasing difficulty of discerning AI-generated content from reality, several strategies can help users navigate the online world more effectively. One crucial method is to **look for visual cues**. While early AI-generated images often had obvious tells—such as an incorrect number of fingers, voices out of sync with mouths, nonsensical text, or distorted objects—these imperfections are becoming less common as the technology advances. Nevertheless, it remains vital to scrutinize content for inconsistencies like objects appearing or disappearing within a video, actions that defy the laws of physics, or an overly polished, unnatural sheen that suggests digital manipulation.

Another effective technique is to **seek out a source**. AI-generated images are frequently shared and re-shared across platforms. To ascertain authenticity, users can employ a reverse image search. For videos, taking a screenshot first allows for a similar search. This process can often lead to the original source, revealing whether it originates from a dedicated AI content generator, an older image being misrepresented, or something entirely unexpected.

Users should also **listen to the experts**. Relying on multiple verified sources for authentication is key. This could involve checking fact-checks from reputable media outlets, statements from public figures, or social media posts from recognized misinformation experts. These specialists often possess more advanced techniques for identifying AI-generated content or have access to information about the image that is not readily available to the general public.

Furthermore, it is advisable to **make use of technology**, though with caution. Numerous AI detection tools are available and can serve as a starting point, but their assessments are not always accurate. For instance, images generated or altered using Google's Gemini app may include an invisible digital watermarking tool called SynthID, which the app can detect. While other AI creation tools also add visible watermarks, these are often easily removed, meaning their absence does not automatically prove an image's genuineness.

Finally, and perhaps most fundamentally, **slow down**. It's essential to return to basic critical thinking: pause, take a breath, and refrain from immediately sharing content whose veracity is unconfirmed. Malicious actors often rely on people's emotions and existing biases to influence their reactions to content. Examining the comments section can also provide valuable clues, as other users might have noticed anomalies or found the original source. Ultimately, determining with 100% accuracy whether an image is AI-generated is not always possible, so maintaining a vigilant and skeptical approach is paramount.