AI-generated images and videos proliferate in an age when they are easy to make.

Psychology research shows that photographic evidence, whether faked or not, is particularly persuasive.

Detectors can help identify true images, but they’re imperfect.

We need to hone our critical thinking skills, in part by seeking out fact-checking resources.

In case you missed it, April 2 was the 10th annual International Fact-Checking Day. The choice of date is intentional – the day after April Fool’s Day, that annual homage to lying, or at least to the fun, harmless kind of lies. (Sorry if you clicked!) It makes sense that the following day would be dedicated to tuning into our internal lie detectors – a chance to hone our critical thinking and discover new resources and tools to help us in our quest to separate fact from fiction.

Yet, given the extraordinary rise in AI-generated digital content, a single day seems quaint, like a single day of exercise after months of dietary overindulgence. This is particularly true in the context of the United States-Israel war with Iran, during which people have tasked AI with generating vast amounts of misinformation, often in the form of images and videos, with the goal of making money via the “misinformation economy." Unfortunately, these types of images can be particularly powerful persuasive tools. We’re far less skeptical when we “see” something with our own........

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