How BBC Verify detects AI fakes: A masterclass in digital investigation

Описание: How can you tell if what you’re seeing online is real, a video game, or entirely generated by AI? In this session, Thomas Copeland from BBC Verify explains the investigative techniques used to authenticate footage in humanitarian and conflict zones. Since its launch in May 2023, the BBC Verify team has been at the forefront of identifying high-tech disinformation, using everything from satellite imagery analysis to advanced AI detection tools.

In this video, you will learn:
• The 4-step verification process: Learn how to spot visual inconsistencies like misshapen hands, scrambled text, and "tragedy porn".
• Hidden watermarks: Discover how to identify when creators try to hide AI origin labels using emojis or blurring.
• The motivation behind fakes: Understand why "monetisation pipelines" and state-aligned disinformation campaigns are flooding social media with fake war footage.
• Digital forensic tools: Get an inside look at using Google’s SynthID, reverse image searching, and SunCalc to prove when and where a video was actually filmed.

From debunking fake satellite images of missile strikes to identifying AI-enhanced "fireworks" in combat footage, discover how journalists find the truth in an increasingly synthetic world.

About BBC Verify:
BBC Verify is a specialist team within the BBC dedicated to fact-checking and video verification. They provide both an internal service for BBC News and an outward-facing role to help the public navigate complex news agendas and difficult-to-reach geographical areas.

Timestamps:
0:00 - Introduction to BBC Verify
2:34 - Real or fake quiz
7:05 - 4 steps to catch AI fakes
9:50 - Why AI struggles with hands and text
15:37 - Identifying hidden watermarks and SynthID
19:28 - How to use reverse image search
21:49 - Monetisation: Why people spread fakes
24:16 - State-aligned disinformation case studies
28:19 - Geolocation and chrono-location techniques

Further resources:
BBC Verify https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/bbcverify
Thomas Copeland on LinkedIn   / thomasdcopeland