How to Tell If a Video Is AI Generated
AI video tools can now fake everything from a puppy in the rain to a breaking-news broadcast. The good news: they still leave fingerprints. Here are the seven signs Rick the Chick looks for — and how to check any reel automatically.
The 7 signs of an AI-generated video
- Hands and fingers. Count them. AI still struggles with hands — look for extra fingers, fused knuckles, or hands that melt into objects.
- Shadows and reflections that don't add up. A person with no shadow, a mirror that shows the wrong angle, or light coming from two directions at once are classic giveaways.
- Impossible physics. Liquid that pours upward, fabric that moves like jelly, or objects that pass through each other.
- Faces that shift between frames. Pause and scrub. AI faces can subtly change shape, age, or expression mid-clip, especially at the edges of the frame.
- Synthetic-sounding voices. Too-perfect pacing, odd emphasis on random words, or a voice that doesn't quite match the speaker's mouth movements.
- Text that turns to gibberish. Signs, labels, and captions inside the video often dissolve into nonsense letters in AI footage.
- Too-smooth or waxy skin. Real camera footage has grain, pores, and noise. AI video often looks airbrushed or oddly glossy, especially on skin and fur.
Why it's getting harder
Each new generation of AI video models fixes old tells. Heavy TikTok and Instagram compression also hides artifacts — a blurry reel can be a real phone video or an AI clip hiding behind the blur. That's why checking one sign isn't enough anymore; you need to weigh visual, audio, and file evidence together.
Let Rick check it for you — free
Ricktr combines visual analysis, voice checks, and file forensics into one Rick Score from 1 (real without a doubt) to 100 (AI slop). Your first check is free — no account needed.