Should I believe a video just because it looks very real?
Check a video's source and context, as well as what it seems to show.
A video can be made with AI. A real clip can also be cut short or given a false caption.
Clear faces and smooth speech do not prove the claim. A tool that labels a clip 'AI' can be wrong too.
For example, an old clip of a closed bridge does not prove that the bridge is closed today.
- Find the exact claim, place and date. Do not forward it as fact yet.
- Look for the original, full clip and its source. Check what came before and after the short part.
- Check the event through its own records or other sources with separate evidence.
- If it asks you to pay or share private details, check the request through a known contact.
- If you cannot verify it, leave it unconfirmed. You do not have to decide whether AI made it.
Use a made-up clip caption: 'This bridge closed today.' Make a checklist of facts and sources to check. You have not seen the clip. Do not invent what it shows or claim it is real.
Paste the message into ChatGPT, then fill in any blanks before you send it. ChatGPT opens in a new tab. Opening it does not send the message.
The useful question is 'What supports this claim?'
Sources and more help
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