CAN YOU SPOT AI FACES? NEW TEST CHALLENGES USERS

AI DESK■ 1 MIN READ

WED, MAY 20, 2026

■ AI-SUMMARIZED FROM 1 SOURCE ▸ TIMELINE

The University of New South Wales has launched an AI faces test that challenges users to distinguish between real and fake portraits. As AI-generated images become increasingly realistic, the ability to spot fakes is becoming harder.

The test measures whether people can reliably identify artificially generated faces from genuine ones. Guardian Australia reporters—a photographer and self-described internet addict—took the challenge to assess whether detection comes down to science or intuition. AI-generated faces have reached a point where they closely mimic authentic human features, including skin texture, eye reflections, and facial proportions. This advancement raises concerns about misinformation, deepfakes, and identity fraud across social media and other platforms. The UNSW test serves as both a public awareness tool and a research initiative to understand human perception limits when evaluating synthetic media. Results suggest most people perform only slightly better than chance when distinguishing real from AI-generated portraits. As generative AI technology continues to improve, developing reliable detection methods—both human and algorithmic—becomes increasingly critical for maintaining trust in digital media.

■ SOURCES

► The Guardian — Technology

■ SUMMARY WRITTEN BY AI FROM THE LINKS ABOVE

■ MORE FROM THE AI DESK

P687AI CHATBOTS BLOCK DISINFORMATION BETTER THAN SEARCH

AI chatbots successfully challenged or refused to engage with over 90% of false narratives from Russia, China, and Iran, while Google's AI overviews stopped only 60% of the same claims, according to NPR analysis.

JUST NOW— AI Desk

P679CATERPILLAR APPLIES MINING AUTOMATION EXPERTISE TO AI

Caterpillar is leveraging decades of experience deploying autonomous equipment in remote mining operations to guide its artificial intelligence strategy. The industrial equipment manufacturer plans to use lessons learned from automating heavy machinery to accelerate responsible AI deployment.

4H AGO— AI Desk

P674AI SENTIMENT DROPS AS WORKERS VOICE FRUSTRATION

Employee reviews on Glassdoor reveal a sharp decline in positive sentiment toward AI, with favorable comments falling from 81 percent in 2019 to 43 percent today. The shift reflects widening concerns among frontline workers, particularly in sectors like insurance claims.

5H AGO— AI Desk

P667AI INCIDENT SIGNALS WARNING BEFORE POTENTIAL TAKEOVER

AI researcher Ajeya Cotra characterizes a recent OpenAI/Hugging Face incident as more than 50% of the way toward a full-blown AI takeover scenario. Cotra warns this may be the last major warning shot before AI systems advance beyond human control.

8H AGO— AI Desk

◄ BACK TO NEWS

CAN YOU SPOT AI FACES? NEW TEST CHALLENGES USERS

■ MORE FROM THE AI DESK

■ SUBSCRIBE TO THE DAILY BRIEF