Royals photo commotion highlights challenge of discerning fake content

As artificial intelligence makes discerning between real and fake imagery increasingly tricky, people are undoubtedly becoming less trusting of media they’re presented with. Can we nip this growing scepticism in the bud?

Society’s threshold for what qualifies as ‘uncanny valley’ in 2024 is becoming more debatable by the month. Public trust, meanwhile, is clearly waning.

Thanks to artificial intelligence and its ability to create unerringly realistic portrayals of real life photo and video, people are distinctly more suspicious of media they’re presented with and whether or not it’s entirely authentic.

If the suggestion that algorithms would create mass confusion and hysteria was previously considered ‘storm in a teacup’, the ongoing case surrounding Catherine Middleton points to the contrary.

If you didn’t know already, the Princess of Wales posted a family photo to Instagram on Mother’s Day. Though it appeared innocuous to the naked eye, folk examined the photo forensically and twigged several examples of supposed digital manipulation.