Spot the fake: Can you figure out which photos were made with AI?

I published a post last year showcasing six pairs of images, challenging readers to try and figure out which ones were made with AI. Out of the six image pairs, I was surprised to learn that more than half of our readers got at least four right, with 20 percent not making a single mistake. But can this result be repeated in 2025?

A lot has changed in a year, with AI generation tools making a big leap forward. Nano Banana Pro is a lot better than Imagen 4 used in my post last year, as it has the ability to create more realistic images, ditching things like super smooth skin and that perfect bokeh effect in some cases. The tool also allows me to make minor changes to specific parts of an image, which was impossible a year ago, since Gemini just created a brand new image when I asked for a change.

With all that in mind, I decided to put our readers to the test again. I prepared six image pairs, with each consisting of a real and an AI-generated image. I think you’ll have a harder time figuring out which is which than in my post published a year ago, but I’d love to see you prove me wrong.

Take a look at the image pairs below, make your decision for each one, and then check the description below the pair for the answer and my analysis. When done, share your result in the poll, so we’ll be able to compare the data with last year’s. Good luck.

1. Selfie time

This one is a bit tricky. One image is very polished, showing a woman with perfect skin while the background is just slightly blurred. It looks very professional, which has always been a sign of AI since previous versions of Google’s image generator were not capable of producing an image of a person that didn’t look Photoshopped.

The other is more realistic, less polished. It really does look like a casual photo someone took without adding any filters to it. Common sense would tell you that the first image is AI while the right one is real, but you’d be wrong. It’s the other way around, which just goes to show how far AI has come.

2. Italy at night

I had to include a night shot in this post, just to make things a bit more interesting since AI image generators used to struggle in this area. The two images are extremely similar, showing the gorgeous Manarola village in Italy at night overlooking the ocean.

So, which one is fake? It’s hard to say at first glance since one of them seems more polished with better lighting, but as seen in the previous image set, that’s not always a sign of AI, since it’s now capable of producing more life-like images. However, the more polished photo is the fake one in this case, which means that the second image was made with Google’s Nano Banana Pro.

3. PURRfection

I mean, who doesn’t love cat images, am I right? These two are nothing alike, except for both being gorgeous. The bokeh effect is more pronounced on the second image, with the cat striking more of a pose for the camera, while the cat in the first image is just chilling.

It’s hard to say which one is fake since there isn’t anything obvious giving it away. The second one does look more out of place in my personal opinion since it feels more edited and the cat looks a bit different from the ones I’m used to seeing, but it is in fact the real image. That means the first image was made by Google’s Nano Banana Pro.

4. The city of brotherly love

Here’s a skyline of Philadelphia. One shows more than the other, and there’s a difference in lighting and just general polish between the two as well. Remember, a more polished image isn’t always AI, but it’s not always real either.

You have to base your decision on something else completely, and unfortunately, nothing really stands out that much in either image to give it away. Unless you’re very familiar with Philadelphia’s skyline, as the AI-generated image didn’t really get it 100 percent correct. So, which is which? The first one is real, while the second image is AI-generated.

5. Country road

I love a good road trip through the mountains, so these two images speak to me. The valley is still green and lush, while the mountains are already covered in snow. Gorgeous. The second one captures my attention more, but that doesn’t mean it’s real or fake.

If I didn’t know the answer, I’d find it hard to figure out which one is which. I mean, they kind of both look real and fake at the same time, if that makes sense. The trees on the first image appear less natural to me when compared to the second, which has a large mountain in the background that can come across a bit fake. But it’s actually not — the first image is AI-generated, while the second is real.

6. Look at all those details

AI image generation tools can struggle with details, so it makes sense to test this out with the new version of Nano Banana. You have two images of Petra, Jordan, in front of you, a city carved into a sandstone cliff.

There are a lot of details present on the pillars and the building in general, as well as on the cliff surrounding it. The lighting on both is completely different, just to add another element of confusion to this test. If I didn’t already know the answer, I’d say that the first image is real since it has more pronounced details, especially above each pillar. And I’d be right, since the second image is AI-generated, although it’s hard to spot for the untrained eye.

Let me know how many correct answers you got in the poll above and share your thoughts with me in the comments.