AI & SOCIETY / MEDIA LITERACY · EDITORIAL FEATURE
Can an AI Detector Prove a Video Is Fake?
Why automated detection is a clue, not a verdict — and what to check instead.
Tools that claim to detect AI-generated content can be useful, but a confidence score is not proof.
Why detectors make mistakes
Compression, editing, unusual lighting and new generation techniques can all affect detection results. A detector may misclassify real footage or fail to identify synthetic media.
Look for provenance
Check the original publisher, upload history, independent corroboration and any available content credentials. Metadata can help, but its absence is not proof of manipulation.
A better question
Rather than asking only “Is this AI?”, ask “Who published this, when, and what evidence supports the claim?” That habit works even when technology changes.
Learn more: Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity; NIST AI resources.