Crafting Synthetic Realities: Examining Visual Realism and Misinformation Potential of Photorealistic AI-Generated Images
Journal:
arXiv
Published Date:
Sep 26, 2024
Abstract
Advances in generative models have created Artificial Intelligence-Generated
Images (AIGIs) nearly indistinguishable from real photographs. Leveraging a
large corpus of 30,824 AIGIs collected from Instagram and Twitter, and
combining quantitative content analysis with qualitative analysis, this study
unpacks AI photorealism of AIGIs from four key dimensions, content, human,
aesthetic, and production features. We find that photorealistic AIGIs often
depict human figures, especially celebrities and politicians, with a high
degree of surrealism and aesthetic professionalism, alongside a low degree of
overt signals of AI production. This study is the first to empirically
investigate photorealistic AIGIs across multiple platforms using a
mixed-methods approach. Our findings provide important implications and
insights for understanding visual misinformation and mitigating potential risks
associated with photorealistic AIGIs. We also propose design recommendations to
enhance the responsible use of AIGIs.
