Anyone can fake a scientific image with AI, tricking even academic journals – and undermining trust in science

Several scientific fields rely on visual evidence to illustrate their claims. Inaccurate AI-generated images put the credibility of science at risk.

By: Nan Li, University of Wisconsin-Madison, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: June 22, 2026

Words: 1,150

Last Updated: 1 month ago

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By Nan Li, University of Wisconsin-Madison

A photograph of Earth glowing in deep space, the Moon’s cratered horizon stretching across its foreground, caught many people’s eyes in April 2026. Astronauts captured the image while aboard NASA’s Artemis II mission, and like the famous Apollo 8 “Earthrise” image, the picture felt instantly real and inspiring for many.

But when almost anyone can fabricate a visually similar image in seconds from a text prompt using …

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