Challenges of Verifying Real and Synthetic Content Online

Sat, 11 Apr 2026 13:35:00 +0200

The article explores how the rise of synthetic media and generative AI is overwhelming traditional methods of verification online. From AI-generated images to restricted access to satellite imagery, verifying what is real has become increasingly complex. Platforms and algorithms prioritize speed and virality over accuracy, allowing content to spread before verification can catch up. Investigative journalists and open-source intelligence (OSINT) experts struggle to manage the volume, particularly when hyperactive accounts create false authority or misleading certainty. Restricted access to commercial satellite imagery, such as that from Planet Labs, further limits the ability to independently verify events, leaving generative AI to fill gaps or shape perceptions. Advances in AI have made synthetic content increasingly hard to detect, particularly hybrid images where minor manipulations occur within otherwise authentic photographs. Traditional detection tools are limited, often providing