Judgment in the Age of AI · Article 19
Images retain the persuasive force of “I saw it”, yet a digital image may be generated, locally altered, mislabelled or detached from context. The important question is no longer only whether it looks real, but whether its origin and history can be explained.
An evidence chain needs five links
- Source: Who captured, generated or first published it?
- Original: Can an uncompressed file be obtained?
- Time and place: Can other records independently confirm them?
- Processing history: Was it cropped, enhanced, composited or recaptioned?
- Corroboration: Do other photos, videos, documents or witnesses support it?
“Detected as real” is not the end
AI detectors can misclassify, while provenance credentials may disappear during copying. A detection result is one signal to combine with source chain and event context. Conversely, the absence of an AI label does not prove that a camera produced the image.
Three uses require three standards
| Use | Minimum standard |
|---|---|
| Private conversation | State clearly that it is unverified |
| Public reporting or accusation | Traceable origin and independent corroboration |
| Legal, insurance or disciplinary process | Preserve the original and follow professional forensic requirements |
An image may begin an investigation; an isolated image should not end one.
References
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