How to Spot AI-Generated Videos

Master the art of detecting deepfakes and AI-generated content

Mastering AI Detection

AI-generated video is becoming increasingly realistic, but it still leaves traces that careful analysis can uncover. Advanced generative video models (e.g. OpenAI's Sora) and deepfake tools can mimic real people on camera, yet often exhibit glitches in physics or consistency. This comprehensive guide will help you develop the skills to identify AI-generated content reliably.

Getting Started

Spotting AI-generated videos requires a trained eye and attention to detail. As AI technology improves, the differences become more subtle, but telltale signs remain. We'll start with the most common and obvious indicators, then move to more advanced detection techniques.

Key Visual Indicators

🖐️ Hands and Fingers

One of the most common giveaways - AI struggles with complex hand movements:

  • Incorrect number of fingers (more or less than 5)
  • Morphing or warping during movement
  • Fingers merging or splitting unnaturally
  • Wrong hand anatomy or joint positions
  • Compare movements to known footage of the person

👁️ Eyes and Facial Features

  • Blinking patterns: Irregular, too few/frequent, or perfectly spaced
  • Skin texture: "Waxy" or unnaturally smooth (real skin has pores, wrinkles, blemishes)
  • Pupil dilation: Static or uneven - real pupils respond to light
  • Lip-sync: Mouth movements may mis-sync with speech
  • Teeth and gums: Often blurry or unchanging during speech
  • Symmetry: Faces that are too perfectly symmetrical

🏃 Body and Movement

  • Gestures: Jerky or unusually stiff movements, especially head turns
  • Continuity: Clothing, hairstyles, or objects that change between frames
  • Physics: Impossible movements or objects behaving unnaturally
  • Context: Impossible timelines or mismatched environments

💡 Lighting and Environment

  • Illumination: Face unnaturally bright or smooth compared to surroundings
  • Shadows: Missing, misplaced, or inconsistent with light sources
  • Background: Blurry or doesn't match subject's lighting
  • Reflections: Don't align properly with the environment

Audio Analysis

Voice Quality

  • Sound quality: Too clean, static, or robotic
  • Pauses: Unnatural pauses or monotone delivery
  • Sync: Voice may drift out of sync with mouth movements
  • Breathing: Lack of audible breath sounds
  • Accents/pronunciation: Odd glitches on certain words

Background Audio

  • Ambient noise: Unnaturally silent or sterile environments
  • Acoustics: Echo/reverb patterns that don't match the setting
  • Context: Audio sounds like studio recording vs. depicted location

Advanced Detection Techniques

Frame-by-Frame Analysis

AI often struggles with temporal consistency:

  • Micro-warping between frames
  • Objects that suddenly appear/disappear
  • Texture "shimmering" or shifting
  • Edges that flicker or distort

Metadata & Source Investigation

  • File metadata: Missing camera EXIF, unusual encoder signatures
  • Timestamps: Creation dates that don't match content
  • Source verification: Check if reputable outlets shared the content
  • Reverse searches: Google/TinEye key frames and faces

Liveness & Biometric Checks

For high-stakes verification:

  • Request specific gestures (raise 3 fingers, turn head quickly)
  • Sudden light changes - real pupils constrict instantly
  • Micro-expressions and physiological signals
  • Thermal imaging patterns (advanced forensic)

AI Detection Tools

Online Services

  • Deepware Scanner: Analyzes videos for face manipulations (YouTube, Facebook, Twitter links)
  • Sensity AI: Layered analysis (pixels, file structure, voice) - 95-98% accuracy claimed
  • TrueMedia.org: Collaborative verification using multiple detection models
  • Microsoft Video Authenticator: Analyzes frames for blending boundaries and discoloration

Browser Extensions

  • Hiya Voice Detector: Flags AI-generated voices
  • InVID WeVerify: Forensic toolkit for investigators
  • Deep Fake Detector: On-the-fly media analysis

Best Practices for Detection

  • Trust your instincts: If something feels off, investigate further.
  • Use multiple methods: Combine visual inspection, audio check, metadata analysis, and AI tools.
  • Check context: Does the scenario match timeline, location, and known behavior?
  • Reverse search everything: Key frames, faces, and scenes.
  • Verify sources: Cross-reference with reputable outlets and official channels.
  • Stay updated: Deepfake technology evolves - what works today may not tomorrow.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • ❌ Assuming professional = real: High production value doesn't mean it's authentic.
  • ❌ Focusing on one indicator: Use multiple clues for confirmation.
  • ❌ Ignoring context: Impossible scenarios are major red flags.
  • ❌ Over-analyzing real videos: Not every imperfection means AI.

Key Takeaway

There is no single "smoking gun" that proves a video is fake. Instead, look for a combination of red flags - facial quirks, audio oddities, metadata gaps, contextual impossibilities. Use a layered approach: manual observation + forensic tools + source verification + AI detection services. The more clues you cross-reference, the more confident you can be in calling a video real or AI-generated.

Ready to Test Your Skills?

Now that you know what to look for, put your knowledge to the test! Start with easier videos and work your way up to expert level.