r/isthisAI • • Jun 29 '26

Other PSA: SynthID What is it? How do I check? And what are its limitations? and how not to annoy everyone by doing the basics.

126 Upvotes

I thought it was about time to make a new PSA about SynthID. English is not my first language so there's probably some mistakes.

 

As you may be aware, this subreddit does not allow AI detectors. This is because they are extremely unreliable. Try going to deviantart or any other art site and test them with a few images, it should be easy to find something they say is AI despite it being uploaded over five years ago.

This is my go to example https://www.deviantart.com/hibbary/art/Third-Eye-748333152 see how it was uploaded in 2018, there is no way this could be generated but nearly all the detectors I have tried say that it is.

Then why is SynthID allowed, you might say?

SynthID is different. It's a thing developed by Google, when you use their generators they add a hidden pattern to the image which is difficult to remove without lowering the quality of the image or changing it significantly. This is what it is looking for, not if it looks like it's generated like the other detectors. Therefore you can be sure if it says that SynthID is detected, an AI has done something to the image in some way. It could be something as simple as upscaling, changing something or it could be completely generated. The point is if it has SynthID you cannot trust the image.

Recently OpenAI(ChatGPT) have implemented the same technology in their generator. There is an important thing though Google and OpenAI can only detect their own images. Not each other's so you have to run the image through both of them.

So how do I use them?

For OpenAI it's very simple https://openai.com/research/verify/ they have a page for it.

Google of course has to be more complicated. It used to be able to do a "search by image" and then go to about the image but that no longer works. Now you have to use Gemini to get an answer. Add the image you suspect and type "@Verify AI". Annoying but I don't know any better way.

Edit: When using Gemini it is very important that you type "@Verify AI" and not "SynthID" or any other variation of it. Otherwise there is a high chance that it will hallucinate and give you the wrong answer. It is also important to use a clean new session for each image.

Another edit: To confirm that Gemini actually use the verification tool you can press the three little dots underneath its response and then select "see response details".

Now I can't stress this enough, these two methods will only detect OpenAI's and Google's images. Not any other generator. So when an image comes up negative for SynthID that doesn't mean it's not AI. It can only prove that an image is fake not disprove it.

So before you post an image here please check for yourself you will save yourself some time and not waste others.

edit 29-09-2026: It has come to my attention that Meta(Facebook) and Grog(Twitter, I refuse to call it X, it's a dumb name) have also implemented some kind of SynthID. I do not know much about it since I don't and refuse to interact with those two sites. But I will assume that they works just like the others, in that way that you have to check with all of them. This is quickly becoming quite a nuisance to check for SynthID.

edit 16-10-2026 Google has released a global SynthID detector synthid.com I've only briefly tested it and it seems to work. You still need to sign into an account, which is a bit disappointing.


r/isthisAI • • Jul 26 '26

MOD POST New updated Discord for IsthisAI! faster way to find out if a image is AI or not with less restrictions.

9 Upvotes

https://discord.gg/ssuwD2z2JJ Join here and get member role by reaction in the verify channel


r/isthisAI • • 9h ago

Solved [AI] Obviously car enthusiasts would never subject their cars to such a risky contest

1.9k Upvotes

The male dominated voices and holding a contest without safety barriers just seems like the whole thing is a boomer male goon fantasy. Plus a where would you attach the strap on the Lamborghini?


r/isthisAI • • 2h ago

Photo Being sold at an Evil Dead the musical showing. I was assured it was not AI. Is it an AI drawing?

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102 Upvotes

This is the design on merch for my local showing of Evil Dead the Musical. I asked the workers who assured me that they have an artist they work with every year, and she hates AI. I’m not sure what I think of the artwork? What’s your decision?

EDIT

The curve of the gun (or branch) is because I laid the shirt on my legs to take the picture.

Also they did point me to the artist, but I’m too much of a coward to go to her and ask.


r/isthisAI • • 3h ago

Photo Spotted this in an antique store in Texas; the image seems too crisp and “perfect” to be an authentic image

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98 Upvotes

Plus the text makes me think it’s at least AI modified, I’m not sure if that font even existed in vintage times


r/isthisAI • • 2h ago

Photo Friend possibly being scammed, is it AI? He’s about to buy this car for someone, and I think he shouldn’t.

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44 Upvotes

My friend might be getting scammed and I’m trying to figure out if he is before he buys it and makes a big mistake. This was the image that was shown, throwing it into a program asking if it’s AI, said it was probably… but he wants to know what specifically looks AI in it.

Thanks for the help. I said the leaves look weird.


r/isthisAI • • 6h ago

Photo Picture from a restaurant. Unknown fruits with weird shapes and weird objects at the bottom

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72 Upvotes

r/isthisAI • • 7h ago

Art I commissioned this art from someone I found on Tiktok, it looks far too clinical and the sketches don’t look real.

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57 Upvotes

EDIT: I’d like to add that after they finished my drawing they blocked me on discord and deleted their TikTok account, and had their “manager” reach out to me and tell me that it was unreasonable to ask for a timelapse despite them telling me they had one but it was too big to upload.


r/isthisAI • • 4h ago

Photo I was looking to adopt a bunny but the pictures on the posting look awfully perfect. The fur is what makes me suspect it. The leaves in the background for the grass photo too

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22 Upvotes

r/isthisAI • • 2h ago

Art I got this sticker at an art event from a vendor I'm friends with... is it ai? :(

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13 Upvotes

The art style is suspicious and the hands and paws are inconsistent... It's also kinda different from the artist's typical art style.


r/isthisAI • • 6h ago

Photo Is this ai. My mom bought this shirt and I’m pretty sure it is. Is it?????? The witch looks fake

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23 Upvotes

r/isthisAI • • 16h ago

Art Commissioned art accused of being AI-generated after years, can someone confirm

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111 Upvotes

Around 2 years ago I commissioned some art for my game, I asked the artist for a couple of different styles for different parts of the game and provided some references of what I wanted, like Subway Surfers. I got the art and loved it, and even asked for some small details to be changed here and there which the artist always delivered.

Unfortunately, I had a wedding, followed by my dad's death, and then a baby, which made continuing development very difficult in the last 2 years. Now that I'm back and putting my game out there, I've been called out for using AI a few times. I checked the metadata, and it doesn't seem to say anything about AI, but that is easy to hide.

This sucks because, before commissioning this art, I got scammed by another artist who took the payment but never came back with the final result after months of excuses. This was someone I worked with for years and trusted, so I guess I'm an easy target.

I have no hopes of getting my money back after so long (Fiverr), and I'm not sure I can afford to keep hiring artists for a project no one will care about. But I would still like to know for sure.

Edit:

Okay, I talked with the artist. She denies using A.I. and says this is her style, and unfortunately, A.I. does use a similar style, which is a big issue for her and her work.

First, I have a big issue: if I ask for my money back, I instantly lose access to everything she has done. All the visuals for the entire game were created by her, absolutely everything, even the fonts were the ones she sent, which means I would have to start again.

So, this is the deal: she said she will redo everything, provide plenty of proof, make sure it doesn't look A.I. generated, and be sure to make everything compatible with what I already have so I can just replace it without having to redo the entire look and feel of the game, honestly this all sucks a lot no matter what, I don't think I win in any situation, but if this does not work out I will be exactly where I started, I will come back with whatever comes out of this, at least she is being responsive and apologetic, I assumed she would just not respond after so long.


r/isthisAI • • 11h ago

Art Is this Ravensburger puzzle art seen at a toy store AI? It has an illustrator credited but the acorns look suspicious

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42 Upvotes

r/isthisAI • • 1d ago

Photo This can’t be real, right? Is this guy really under anesthesia for a full-body blackout tattoo?

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2.5k Upvotes

Found this on Facebook. Anesthesia for a almost full-body blackout tattoo? Wouldn’t it be unsafe to tattoo such a large area of the body in one session, even under anesthesia? Are there tattoo studios or clinics that offer this kind of procedure?

I’m wondering if this is AI-generated. The setup looks like a medical procedure rather than a typical tattoo session. Can anyone identify specific details in the image that might indicate AI generation?


r/isthisAI • • 6h ago

Photo Parents are getting dog that looks suspiciously perfect. No phone call yet, Cage looks strange.

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16 Upvotes

The cage seems to go in and out of the fur, the kennel seems to not work like that? Also the paws seem to be too bug for and Australian shepherd. Not convinced its ai and maybe filter? But the background looks strange also because why is there random unconnected cages there.

Update: Parents Got Video and are paying at pick up! So likely just portrait mode!


r/isthisAI • • 12m ago

Photo A photo of cookies for sale that you can pre-order posted in local FB group

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• Upvotes

A new local baker posted this photo and said she was taking preorders for these cookies.

Why I think it's AI: the FB post had one of those AI flairs on it and anonymous people were commenting on it saying this is obviously AI. They do look suspiciously perfect...

Why I think they might be real: I noticed the golden Oreo looks slightly broken where it's touching the cookie. Also the caramel drizzle on the Biscoff cookie looks random, like a human did it.

I'm usually pretty good at detecting AI but I am stumped on this one.


r/isthisAI • • 1h ago

Art I got this shirt for Christmas a while ago and the design looks a little too clean and uncanny… is it AI? :(

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• Upvotes

r/isthisAI • • 14h ago

Art A friend wants to know if this image is fully AI or art enhanced with it. Was checking this with some friends but we weren't sure.

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54 Upvotes

r/isthisAI • • 4h ago

Video This The General/Streetfighter ad, is it ai? Roman reigns looks as real as the general

6 Upvotes

his arm looks fucked up and him and his necklace look cg, like of course he has make up on and everything but I don’t think it would give that much of an uncanny effect like that. The camera work seems odd, if it’s real it would be an actual camera operator mimicking a front facing camera (which is already weird) but it seems like it’s shaky and still at the same time when it pans/zooms


r/isthisAI • • 20h ago

Art I’m like 80% sure it’s ai. Friend got me a few of these, but this one seems off.

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106 Upvotes

I spotted some natural inconsistencies (eyes are slightly apart and vary veeery slightly in height) but seeing as this is cropped to fit on the pin, I couldn’t really verify a specific artist either. My main issue specifically the random triangle-shaped carabiner on the lower left portion


r/isthisAI • • 11m ago

Art Is this game using AI generated assets, or even been programmed entirely with AI?

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• Upvotes

These two images are from the game 'Chinatown Detective Agency' on Steam. I dont know if these two pics are breaking Rule 4, so I apologize of they are. I also dont mean to harass the creators too.

I think that they might be AI because of the strange lighting and differing art-styles, which are unusual for this type of gamem also coupled with the fact these are the usual styles that AI likes to use.

I think it might be AI coded due to the finicky menu settings where it is quite a challenge to open, with such small buttons, but nevertheless it might just be intentional.


r/isthisAI • • 11h ago

Art Parents want to buy a painting for their wall from (mynewart.dk), but I think it looks like AI (photo is a random example from their site)

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16 Upvotes

My parents want to buy a painting for their wall, and they found this site called mynewart.dk

I checked out the site, but the "paintings" honestly look really suspicious. The style just seems so AI-like. Am I insane, or is it AI?


r/isthisAI • • 14h ago

Other Was checking the halo 3: ODST live action trailer and saw the thumbnail and wondered if for some reason it had been changed to ai?

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22 Upvotes

It's 17 years old at this point, but there's no way it looked like this when it was posted in 2009, so am I crazy or was this changed to be AI for some reason like at least 13 years after it was posted?


r/isthisAI • • 1h ago

Photo Found an image from claiming to be from the 1948 Bunker Hill, IL F4. Kinda looks AI to me, because of the cloud structure and the seemingly 1920s era camera despite the tornado being in the late 40s, am I wrong?

• Upvotes

Cloud structure looks off, camera quality looking quite outdated, and also the fact that if this is real it is the only image of this tornado ever just now circulating.


r/isthisAI • • 10m ago

Art This image on r/drawmytattoo, did this person actually draw it (in under and hour)?

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• Upvotes

https://www.reddit.com/r/DrawMyTattoo/s/RrEpdPHt3Z

The text font seems too computerized and I feel that the three sketches to the side don’t match up to what is depicted(?).