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I Can Smell AI from a Mile Away (And the Lecturer Can Too!)
I’m going to be honest: I am sick of reading and
listening to AI-generated group presentations. Whether it’s an AI image that
looks 'too perfect' or a 2,000-word essay that sounds like a robot, I can smell
it a mile away, and I’m tired of it. This is not to say that I’m not
guilty of using it too. I’ve used these
tools myself, so I know exactly how the 'shortcut' trap works. But if I
can tell it’s fake, believe me, your lecturers can too. Here is how to tell
when someone is being lazy:
- If
your coursework is full of words like delve, tapestry, pivotal, or shaping
the landscape, you’ve been caught. Real students don’t write like
that!
- AI work often feels "flat" because every sentence is roughly the same length, whereas real people mix short, punchy points with longer explanations to give their writing a natural rhythm.
- AI
is always too nice. If you ask it "Who is the real king of Ugandan music?" it will give a neutral view about the different musicians in Uganda. Real people have
strong, local opinions; AI doesn't.
- Look at those AI-generated posters. Are there six fingers on a hand? Do the people in the background look like thin millet porridge? If the signposts are written in a strange language, it’s a fake.
 |
| An Ai generated image |
Why the above image is fake news:
Although the main poster is clear, the Stabex board behind has numbers that look "melted," and the small writing at the bottom is just scribbles that make no sense.
The arm of the man holding the sign isn't actually attached to his body and is bent in a way that’s physically impossible.
There are hands gripping the pole that don't belong to anyone in the picture.
The sign looks like it’s floating in mid-air rather than being held up properly.
You can clearly see the Gemini Sparkle
icon sitting in the bottom-right corner, confirming this image is artificial and was generated by Gemini Ai.
Use AI to Catch AI
To determine if an image was generated by AI:
- Upload the image to an AI tool and and ask if the image was Ai generated.
Some tools look for hidden marks like SynthID or "unnatural metadata."SynthID is a secret digital stamp. It is hidden inside the pixels of an image. You cannot see it with your eyes, but a computer can. This stamp proves the image was made by AI.Unnatural metadata are hidden file notes. These notes look suspicious because they are missing normal camera details, like the lens or flash settings. Instead, they show computer-made labels.
The AI scans for inconsistencies, like shadows falling in opposite directions or skin and surfaces looking too perfectly smooth to be real.
If we use AI to do the thinking, we’re the ones missing out on the mental growth that comes from solving difficult problems.
Coming up next: Using Ai without Cheating