AI vs Camera Captured Photos in Media: Image origin, color, and perceived credibility

Audiences increasingly encounter news photographs that may be generated by artificial intelligence rather than captured by a camera, raising questions about how people detect and trust such images. This study examined whether viewers can distinguish between synthetic and authentic news visuals and how these perceptions shape credibility. Twenty-eight undergraduate participants viewed a series of color and black-and-white images and rated both the likely origin of each image and its credibility. Analyses showed that participants recognized artificial images better than chance, with significantly higher accuracy for color photographs. However, credibility depended mainly on what viewers believed about the image rather than on its actual origin. Images judged as artificial were rated less trustworthy, and confidence in judgment influenced credibility evaluations but did not moderate the relationship. The findings highlight how perception, rather than technical reality, drives audience trust in visual journalism and underscore the importance of transparency and contextual framing when presenting AI-generated news images.