"Is this AI?" is a question vexing even the most media-savvy users today, as synthetic images and videos grow exponentially more convincing, with widespread circulation. But are there reliable "tells" and transferable frameworks for critical AI media literacy, even in this rapidly shifting landscape? This interactive presentation invites participants to examine a curated selection of images and videos and discuss: Is this AI? How do you know? Rather than offering easy answers, this session will use guided exercises and discussion to consider critical media AI literacy, inviting participants to think about visual artifacts & physics (is the hair texture right?); anatomy & proportions (are the joints strangely elongated?); and context & coherence (what is the file provenance or source?). Along the way, participants will consider deeper questions of authenticity, consent, and responsibility in an era of increasingly convincing synthetic media, and how critical AI media literacy has relevance in a liberal arts curriculum.
