Becoming an AI detective is a job I never wanted and wish I could quit

‘And here’s the sick joke of it all: the more you linger on a video to discern if it’s AI-generated, the more of its kind you’ll see,’ writes Samantha Floreani. Photograph: nicoletaionescu/Getty Images

Recently, a friend sent me a video of a man dressed as a pickle. Following a high-octane car chase, the pickle flung himself out of the car and flailed down the highway. It was stupid and we laughed. But it also wasn’t real. When I pointed out to my friend that the video was AI-generated, she was taken by surprise, noting she’s usually pretty good at spotting them. She was also frustrated: “I hate having to be on the constant lookout for AI trash,” she lamented in the chat.

And I feel that. Becoming an AI detective is a job I never wanted and wish I could quit.