How to Spot an AI-Generated Image: A 2026 Checklist

Pixel-peeping alone fails in 2026 — modern AI fixes hands, text and ears; trust your workflow, not your eyes.

Check provenance first: C2PA Content Credentials and Google SynthID flag many images from major AI tools.

Reverse image search reveals the oldest, original source and exposes recycled or relabelled fakes.

Online 'AI detectors' give confidence scores, not proof — never act on one tool alone.

India's IT rules from 20 Feb 2026 require AI labels, but absent labels prove nothing — verify yourself.