How to use the AI image detector
- Drop the image on the box, click to choose it, or paste a copied image. Use the original file if you can: downloads from social networks and screenshots usually lose their metadata.
- The detector reads the file on your device. It checks Content Credentials, IPTC and XMP labels, embedded prompts and settings, software fields, camera EXIF and the image size. Nothing is uploaded.
- Read the verdict, then each piece of evidence under What we found. Use Copy text report to paste the findings into a message, fact-check note or ticket.
How to read the verdict
- Strong evidence of AI generation: the file contains a marker that AI tools write and cameras don't. This could be a C2PA manifest declaring
trainedAlgorithmicMedia, an IPTC “Created using generative AI” label, a Stable Diffusion or ComfyUI prompt, or a software field naming a generator such as Midjourney or Adobe Firefly. - Some AI indicators: weaker hints only, such as a description that says “AI generated” or an exact output size of popular generators (1024 × 1024, 1792 × 1024, 1216 × 832…) with no camera data. Worth a closer look, but not proof.
- No AI markers found (inconclusive): nothing in the file points to AI. That is not a clean bill of health: most AI images shared online have had their metadata stripped.
Evidence that points the other way is shown too. Camera EXIF (make, model, exposure, lens) or Content Credentials declaring a digitalCapture are consistent with a real photo. EXIF is unsigned, though, and easy to copy onto any file, so it only supports a conclusion; it can't prove one.
Why there's no “87% AI” score
Pixel-analysis detectors guess from statistical patterns and produce confident-looking percentages that are frequently wrong in both directions, especially after an image has been resized, compressed or screenshotted. New generators also defeat them quickly. This tool only reports markers you can verify yourself, explains where each one was found, and says so plainly when the evidence runs out.
Which generators leave markers
Adobe Firefly, ChatGPT and DALL·E, Microsoft Designer and Google's Gemini image models embed C2PA Content Credentials; open the Content Credentials checker for the full signed history. Midjourney, Google and Meta write the IPTC digital source type label, and Midjourney also stores the prompt and job ID. Local Stable Diffusion tools (AUTOMATIC1111, Forge, ComfyUI, InvokeAI, Fooocus, NovelAI) save the prompt, seed, sampler and model in PNG text chunks or the EXIF comment. The EXIF viewer lists every one of these fields, and can also remove them.
Honest limits
- Metadata can be removed. Re-saving, screenshots, messaging apps and most social networks strip it. A missing marker proves nothing.
- Metadata can be faked. Only C2PA manifests are cryptographically signed; IPTC labels, EXIF and PNG text can be written by anyone.
- Invisible watermarks need the vendor's tool. SynthID sits in the pixels and survives cropping and compression. Google adds it to all its AI images, and OpenAI has added it to ChatGPT and API images since May 2026, but only the vendors can read it: ask the Gemini app “Was this created with Google AI?”, or use OpenAI's image verification tool for ChatGPT images. Other providers use their own watermarks and detectors.
- Edited photos are mixed. A real photo edited with generative fill can carry camera EXIF and an AI label at the same time. The detector shows both.
Tips when nothing is found
Run a reverse image search (Google Lens, TinEye or Bing) to find the earliest copy, which may still carry its metadata or credit an AI account. Look closely at text, hands, reflections, jewellery and background patterns. Check whether the source has a history of posting generated images. For news images, look for Content Credentials on the publisher's own copy.
Frequently asked questions
How does this AI image detector work?
It reads the evidence embedded in the file: C2PA Content Credentials, the IPTC digital source type label, prompts and settings saved by Stable Diffusion, ComfyUI, Midjourney and other generators, software fields, camera EXIF and the image size. Each finding is listed with where it was found, so you can verify it.
Why doesn't it give a percentage score like other AI detectors?
Pixel-based detectors guess from statistical patterns. Their percentages look precise but are often wrong, especially on resized, compressed or screenshotted images, and new generators fool them quickly. This tool only reports markers you can check, and says “inconclusive” when there is no evidence.
It says “No AI markers found”. Does that mean the image is real?
No. It means the file carries no AI labels or generator traces. Most AI images shared online have had their metadata removed by social networks, messaging apps or screenshots. Try a reverse image search to find an earlier copy, and look closely at text, hands and reflections.
How can I check an image for an invisible watermark like SynthID?
SynthID is invisible and stored in the pixels, so it can't be read from metadata. Google adds it to images made with its AI, and OpenAI has added it to ChatGPT and API images since May 2026. To check, upload the image to the Gemini app and ask “Was this created with Google AI?”, or use OpenAI's image verification tool for ChatGPT images. Neither is a universal AI detector.
Which AI generators leave markers in their images?
Adobe Firefly, ChatGPT and DALL·E, Microsoft Designer and Google's Gemini image models add C2PA Content Credentials. Midjourney, Google and Meta write the IPTC “created using generative AI” label. Local Stable Diffusion tools such as AUTOMATIC1111, ComfyUI, InvokeAI, Fooocus and NovelAI save the prompt and settings in the file.
Does camera EXIF data prove a photo is real?
No. Camera make, model and exposure settings are consistent with a real photo, but EXIF is unsigned and can be copied onto any image. Phones can also keep it on photos edited with generative AI. Only signed Content Credentials that declare a camera capture carry real weight.
Is my image uploaded?
No. Everything runs in your browser, including the Content Credentials check, which uses a WebAssembly library bundled with this site. The image never leaves your device.