Real or Robot – How to Identify AI Images and Text

Hands with eight backwards fingers. Shop signs with illegible glyphs. Polar bears whose eyes slide all over their heads. Walls of text with cloyingly cheery bullet points and an expansive population of em-dashes.

We have all seen, read, and been bewildered by AI-generated content, but year after year the technology improves and can, in many instances, create pictures, video, and text that is indistinguishable from reality (almost) – sometimes with disastrous effects.

In this workshop, we’ll learn what to look for – and what not to look for – when trying to discern the provenance of content online, and why it matters. We’ll learn about how generative AI works and what makes it so good at creating content that is at once both obviously artificial and still eerily lifelike, and become certified slop detectors.

This lecture is part of the Spotlight on AI series – a monthly look at how this powerful and destabilizing technology is affecting both our day-to-day lives and the broader landscape of world events. 

February 12, 2pm – AI: What It Means, How It Works, & What It Means For Your Life
March 12, 2pm – Real or Robot: How to Identify AI Images & Text
April 9, 2pm – Good Bot: Responsible AI Use For Home & Work
May 14, 2pm – Protecting Your Privacy & Identity in an AI World