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.

146 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 • • 2h ago

Photo My friend insists that this insta post isn't AI, but the eyes just look so wrong.

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103 Upvotes

Saw this post on Instagram while scrolling. The eyes kinda freaked me out when I first saw it, but I'm really bad at recognizing AI and my friend is convinced it's legit.
Help?


r/isthisAI • • 17h ago

Photo This picture screams AI to me yet no one is the comments seems to be calling it out

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590 Upvotes

A Google search tells me the statement is true, but I can’t find anything about the picture. Considering they all have the same expression and look overtly perfect, I’d be shocked if it wasn’t.


r/isthisAI • • 14h ago

Solved [AI] Is this tattoo AI? Artist claims he did it himself, but look at the language on the bill.

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277 Upvotes

He got accused of using AI, and he said it was all done by hand. I asked him why he mangled the font on the bill and he said it was a creative choice.


r/isthisAI • • 23h ago

Photo Halloween party “last year’s pictures” look a bit unrealistic. Are they????

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488 Upvotes

All of these images look very generic and fake as all hell to me. It doesn’t matter since I’ll probably go with my friend anyway.. but I can’t be the only one who thinks that the pictures just look so generated? I might be wrong though, I’m trying to prove a point to her for the sake of it. Thoughts??


r/isthisAI • • 1h ago

Photo Fb writer groups claims that they designed it and drew it themselves where I think it’s not true

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• Upvotes

Saw this post on fb. The op claims that they designed it and drew it themselves.

I can’t quite explain it but these ai designed book covers and characters have a running theme of looking vaguely similar (like a mix of manga-ish features and maximising the female and male features like tiny features of fmc and male is hard lines etc.)

The cover also seemes too perfect.
But no one in the comments seemed to agree with me and applauded the op fight against the ai which they are liking and agreeing.


r/isthisAI • • 2m ago

Photo This “person” joined several Pokemon TCG Facebook groups and sends lowball offers along with flirty messages, and insists on postage despite having a local address

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• Upvotes

I think it’s actually a grown man using AI PFP to send flirty messages to seduce men to accept lowball offers for Pokemon cards. The camera module on the phone seems too close to the edge, and there are 2 external misaligned MagSafe rings visible on the back of the phone, which doesn’t make sense because phone cases only use a single MagSafe ring.


r/isthisAI • • 1h ago

Art Unsure, not familiar with ai art, the hand around the wait on the right has 6 fingers and the weird hand/fingers on the left of his ribs looks off

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5 Upvotes

I'm not very knowledgeable in spotting ai art, there are just things I question, like the weird fingers/hands around the ribs and one of the hands having more fingers? It could just be monster related imagery, but it seems off to me. Could someone break it down?


r/isthisAI • • 1h ago

Art Is this image of the Exxon Tiger (aka. Esso Tiger) from The Daily Show AI generated?

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• Upvotes

Why I think it might be AI: The style seems similar to the slick, overly-detailed AI style. Plus The Daily Show has a short turn-around from script to execution, so not sure if they'd have time waiting for an actual artist to do a detailed drawing; you'd expect something less maximalist.

This bit is available on YouTube, from the show that aired October 26th, 2026.


r/isthisAI • • 1d ago

Video I can't really tell if this is ai or not, the pfp of where this tiktok came from is definitely AI but not sure about the video

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544 Upvotes

Something about the editing and other things just seem off I guess? The way he holds it seems od/ the welds itself


r/isthisAI • • 1d ago

Video The perception of the depth is distorted in my opinion. It feels like the rock is falling forever. It feels like the drop should be a quarter of what it is

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275 Upvotes

r/isthisAI • • 6h ago

Art I commissioned a 3d model and this is the starting sketch . Is this AI? It doesn’t look like the person they are modelling off

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6 Upvotes

r/isthisAI • • 17h ago

Politics saw this on threads, and it just looks off to me [repost with the correct flair]

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30 Upvotes

all the signs having stakes but not being (or seem to have ever been) in the ground, and the length of the amazon truck seem strange to me


r/isthisAI • • 0m ago

Music is there ai in this? 1:10 to 1:40 bgm reverberations sound ai-ish? not promoting/affiliated

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• Upvotes

r/isthisAI • • 4h ago

Other The images on the tag of a zuru hug a lumps seal plushie look like ai, not quite sure if they are

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2 Upvotes

I bought this plushie today bc i love seals and this seal is so cute, and its also weighted, but the images on the tag seem strange, they look ai-ish but i can’t quite tell why, is it ai?


r/isthisAI • • 1d ago

Other I think the San Diego Wildlife Society is using AI in its Merchandise (SD Zoo Gift Shop)

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351 Upvotes

Something about the lighting, line thickness, and the meant-to-look-realistic style. Just sucks - a missed opportunity to work with real artists if true.


r/isthisAI • • 3h ago

Photo This flyer looks suspicious. I wanna believe the background photo looks real, but ofc this looks off...

1 Upvotes

I encountered this via Instagram. Whoever designed this needs to be implemented or something.


r/isthisAI • • 10h ago

Photo Posted on LinkedIn with some strange question on what first comes to mind… AI for me

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5 Upvotes

I’m seeing too many fingers and weird fingers in this, plus the way the sun hits their hair seems off. The second girl from the right in the green dress seems to have a thumb that becomes a bracelet? Or is a super long thumb. Maybe I’m wrong but it feels off..


r/isthisAI • • 3h ago

Video Is this TikTok account's edits AI? They all follow the same-ish formats just in another style, and the animation has an AI style

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1 Upvotes

The creator posted an image as proof that it's all hand drawn in the comments, but the animation has the transition style that all the AI animations I've seen has. I suspect that they at least traced over AI. Also factoring in how they somehow have been posting these types of edit animations everyday consistently. Looking over their account, their other edits almost always has an AI generated Belle looking character at the start.


r/isthisAI • • 14h ago

Art This display at my local art museum. There are many inconsistencies and details that seem indicative of AI. The border is clearly painted on, but the rest has the texture of a print.

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7 Upvotes

I’m fairly certain, but I wanted to see what others thought. It’s disappointing, as this artist’s earlier catalogue is very cool.


r/isthisAI • • 13h ago

Photo It's a Wonderful Life - Live Radio Play poster for Broadway? Seems real to me, but people suspect it's AI

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5 Upvotes

This was just posted on BroadwayWorld for a new Broadway run of that "It's a Wonderful Life" radio play version.

People are saying it's AI, but i don't see any tells. I think it's very heavily photoshopped, but don't think it's AI. The only suspicious thing I possibly see is the tree reflection in the window(?).

Would hate to think a professional Broadway house is using AI for their poster. But then if they're doing such a bare-bones concept on Broadway, who knows?

SynthID says no AI


r/isthisAI • • 1d ago

Photo I'm convinced my meal is using an AI image, plus the contrast to reality is stark

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253 Upvotes

What even are those noodles? I bought from a food delivery service, so wasn't able to slide the sleeve over like they at least suggest


r/isthisAI • • 11h ago

Photo Help me if this picture of a tortoise ai or not, my friend is telling me it is but I'm not sure

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3 Upvotes

A while ago my brother lost his pet tortoise so we sent a missing notice on the internet and today I got a message saying that someone had found him, I can't tell if it's ai or not, 1st photo is the one I sent on the notice and the second is the one the person sent me