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.
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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.
The second image is AI-generated. Click to reveal the answer
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