"AI-Generated Images Fooling Social Media Users, From Puffer Coat Pope to Musk's Date with GM CEO"

AI-generated images, ranging from obviously fake to compellingly real, have gone viral online, fooling some social media users. The rise of new AI tools has made it cheaper and easier than ever to create realistic images, audio, and videos, which threatens to further pollute the information ecosystem. There are concerns that AI-generated images could be used for harassment or to further drive divided internet users apart. Efforts are underway to improve transparency around when a piece of content is generated by a computer, including technical solutions such as watermarking and transparent labels in metadata. Lawmakers may need to get involved to regulate the use of AI-generated images.