We all need to get better at spotting AI images after Donald Trump banquet photo went viral
AI is taking the fun out of digital art and photography - yet so many people still cannot spot it when it is staring them in the face.
We need to get better at recognising AI images and deepfakes - but also tougher at cracking down on them.
Earlier this week, political journalists across the country were hooked on every move US president Donald Trump made during his official state visit. This included a lavish state banquet in Windsor Castle, which First Minister John Swinney also attended.
Plenty of stunning photographs have emerged from this dinner. But amongst them, an image of Mr Trump stuffing his face with spaghetti while King Charles III made a speech right next to him went viral.
It has millions of reactions and shares on social media. The one problem - it is not real.
You just need to take a look at the official menu to notice no pasta was being served up at Windsor Castle that night.
That has not stopped some believing it to be true, though. While most comments on the image are people correctly pointing out the image has been manipulated by AI, or at least questioning if the image is real or not, there are plenty who have fallen for it.
AI images are rife across the internet at the moment and it is starting to take the fun out of some of the apps I love the most like Instagram and Pinterest. I have been trying to buy some artwork for my home study on etsy, and I am struggling to find what I am looking for that has not been AI generated.
All of these apps need to be more aware of this, partly because it is taking away credit from those who are doing real photography and art, and partly because it is sucking the joy out of looking at artwork online.
It does not help when larger brands or companies are happy to use AI images at will.
Earlier this month I was at Istanbul Airport - each gate had a digital image of the destination the plane is flying to. When I realised this, I was excited to see what image had been chosen for Edinburgh.
I was disappointed. Yes, it looked like Edinburgh, but without any of the discernible landmarks you would expect to see. Then I noticed the small print in the corner of the image - it was AI generated.
That being said, progress is being made when it comes to more sinister uses of AI. Last month Callum Brooks, 25, from Glasgow, was convicted of using AI to create deepfake nude images of a female friend and was fined £335.
This week his victim told the BBC that AI crimes need to have their own legislation and the penalties need to be higher. The Scottish Government has since said it is in fact considering the need for a separate law.
In the meantime everyone could benefit from being more aware of how to spot AI images and videos online.
Rather than people happily sharing and pinning these images, if we reject them completely and reduce the demand for these images, we will see less of them. At the very least when images of the US president eating spaghetti go viral, we can all call it out for what it is - a (not so elaborate) hoax.
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