Quick Guide to AI Generated Images

The "uncanny valley"* between human made and not human made images is quickly becoming not uncanny at all. It is becoming more and more difficult to determine if images are real or computer generated.

The following are tools for creating images, and others are for detecting them.

*uncanny valley is a term used to used to refer to the unpleasant feeling that some people have when they see robots (= machines that can carry out actions automatically), or pictures of a human being created by a computer, that appear very similar to a living human:

This guide is maintained by Erin Burns and Brian Quinn.

This guide's intention is to help you critically engage with generative AI tools and focuses on how they intersect with information literacy.

Students, please first confirm with your professor that using ChatGPT or other content produced by generative artificial intelligence (AI) is acceptable before using it for any course assignments.

The authors of this guide would also like to add that the links on this page are not an endorsement of the tools. Please exercise caution about the tools listed below.

Definitions and Framework

From the ACRL Standards on Visual Literacy: Visual literacy is a set of abilities that enables an individual to effectively find, interpret, evaluate, use, and create images and visual media. Visual literacy skills equip a learner to understand and analyze the contextual, cultural, ethical, aesthetic, intellectual, and technical components involved in the production and use of visual materials. A visually literate individual is both a critical consumer of visual media and a competent contributor to a body of shared knowledge and culture.

4 Themes form the Visual Literacy Framework:

● Learners participate in a changing visual information landscape
● Learners perceive visuals as communicating information
● Learners practice visual discernment and criticality
● Learners pursue social justice through visual practice

Detectors for fake images. More information about detecting AI generated text and images can be found here and here.