Deciphering authenticity in the age of AI: how AI-generated disinformation images and AI detection tools influence judgements of authenticity

Abstract An ongoing surge of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled false content has been spreading its way through the information ecosystem, including AI-generated images, which have been used as part of political disinformation campaigns. Thus, there remains a pressing need to understand which factors individuals rely upon when determining whether images are AI-generated, particularly when they can be used to spread disinformation. AI-generated images have been characterised by their aesthetic realism, which can be leveraged to deceive users, and those who use generative AI to create deceptive content also tend to exploit its ability to convey and elicit emotion. This experimental study explored how aesthetic realism and emotional salience, as key features of both AI-generated content and disinformation, may influence authenticity judgements of AI-generated disinformation images. In this study, 292 UK-based participants were presented with both AI-generated and non-AI-generated disinformation images which varied in aesthetic realism and emotional salience. Results showed that participants were more likely to judge realistic-looking AI-generated images as being authentic compared with less realistic-looking AI-generated images, but did so with less confidence in their decision. Emotional salience was not a significant predictor of judgements. When participants were presented with the correct verdict of an AI detection tool, their reliance on the tool to update their own judgements was predicted by the aesthetic realism of the image and their confidence levels. These findings may assist with the development of disinformation detection tools, as well as strategies that mitigate the spread of deceptive, synthesised visual content in the digital age.