You can't trust Images anymore
Source: Dev.to
The Rise of Image Manipulation
Image manipulation is not new; it has been around almost as long as photography itself. What has changed in recent years is the ease with which artificial intelligence (AI) can alter images, flooding the internet with convincing fakes. Many people now struggle to tell whether an image is genuine, even questioning photos sent by family members. This erosion of trust threatens the long‑standing role of images as visual evidence.
Historical Manipulations
One of the most widely circulated portraits of President Abraham Lincoln was later discovered to be a simple composite: Lincoln’s face had been placed onto the body of a slavery advocate. For decades the image went unquestioned, despite the stark contradiction between Lincoln’s legacy and the body’s original owner.
Image on the left: altered portrait of President Lincoln; image on the right: original portrait of slavery advocate John Calhoun (Image credit: Library of Congress).
Stalin’s Control of Visual History
Joseph Stalin understood the power of images. During his rule, photographs were not merely records; they were tools to rewrite history. Enemies were erased from public view, and official archives were altered to reflect the regime’s narrative.
Left: original photograph of Nikolai Antipov, Stalin, Sergei Kirov, and Nikolai Shvernik in Leningrad, 1926 (Credit: Tate Archive, David King, 2016).
The Digital Era: Photoshop and Beyond
The advent of tools like Adobe Photoshop made image editing accessible to almost anyone. Editing no longer required extensive skill, time, or resources, and detecting alterations became increasingly difficult. While metadata was introduced to preserve authenticity, it proved fragile and easy to tamper with, offering only a thin layer of reassurance. For the first time, the creation of images began to outpace verification.
AI‑Generated Images Today
Today, AI has amplified the imbalance. Convincing manipulations can be produced with simple textual prompts in seconds, eliminating the need for technical expertise. Verifying authenticity still demands forensic tools, contextual analysis, and human judgment—processes that cannot keep pace with rapid AI generation.
“Customers abuse AI‑generated content to scam Zomato customer support.” – Deepinder Goyal (referenced in a recent podcast with Raj Shamani)
Source: https://x.com/IndianTechGuide/status/2009256327596355938?s=20
The Positive Side of Image Manipulation
Manipulation is not inherently harmful. It enables valuable visual work, such as enhanced space imagery and creative design. The core issue is the lack of transparency: viewers are rarely informed how or why an image was altered. What matters is whether the truth behind the image remains knowable.
Image: Cosmic Tarantula, enhanced from infrared to visible spectrum for better color visualization.
Introducing Xvertice
To address the trust gap, we are building Xvertice, a platform that provides context rather than false certainty. Instead of labeling images simply as “real” or “fake,” Xvertice offers explainable image forensics, helping users understand how an image may have been created, altered, or processed over time. The goal is to inform judgment, not replace it.
We are launching an experimental demo. It is not a finished product and does not claim definitive answers, but it demonstrates our approach to image trust and invites feedback to shape future development.
- Website: https://x-vertice.com/
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/teamxvertice
- Peerlist: https://peerlist.io/company/xvertice
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/xvertice
Further Reading
- Abraham Lincoln vs. John Calhoun – the original “deepfake” photo: https://www.digitalcameraworld.com/features/abraham-lincoln-vs-john-calhoun-the-original-deepfake-photo
- Stalin’s Great Purge photo retouching: https://www.history.com/articles/josef-stalin-great-purge-photo-retouching