50 Times People Found Pictures That Seemed Fake But Were Totally Real (New Pics)

Although no AI was used in the making of these pictures, artificial intelligence is one of the most polarizing topics nowadays on the Internet. Just a few weeks ago, the Pew Research Center published a study about Americans' perceptions of AI, and the majority of respondents believed it's going to harm the U.S.

As AI is permeating many aspects of our lives, people believe some areas will benefit from the technology. Like medical care: 44% of Americans think that AI will be useful to doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals. But people worry most about the impact of AI on the news and elections, as only around 10% believe it will have a positive impact on them.

The Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence recently published a 2025 AI Index Report. It revealed the different attitudes people in different parts of the world have towards AI. Asia, for example, shows way more optimism for the use of AI in most aspects of daily life.

People in countries like China (83%), Indonesia (80%), and Thailand (77%) believe that AI-powered products and services have more advantages than drawbacks. And in Canada (40%), the United States (39%), and the Netherlands (36%), folks are much more likely to perceive any AI-powered tools and services with caution.

When it comes to photography, artists and their audiences have serious concerns about the use of AI. In April 2023, the project "90 Miles" about Cuban refugees by National Geographic's photojournalist Michael C. Brown made waves online because of his use of AI. 

Granted, Brown was open about using AI and even described the project as an "A.I. reportage illustration experiment." Still, people pointed out that this doesn't count as photojournalism and questioned his integrity.

There have been controversial stories in photojournalism when photos were actually too good to be true. In 2022, American photographer Kittiya Pawlowski submitted gorgeous photographs of a snow leopard in the Himalayas. The problem? The photographs proved to be doctored after a French publication called their authenticity into question.

At first, Pawlowski refused to address the controversy but later explained that she never claimed these photos to be undoctored. "News and media from around the world stole my images and published them with their own meaning. They did not ask me if they were edited. They interpreted them in their own way and spread them around the world. They told their followers that they were not edited. This is untrue, I always edit my images."

Some photographers dance around similar controversies by claiming that they're not "photojournalists" and are merely "storytellers." That was the excuse Michael C. Brown gave news outlets after his "90 Miles" debacle, as did photographer Steve McCurry when he got accused of using Photoshop to edit his photographs.

In one of his images, McCurry removed a traffic sign that was sticking out of a passerby's leg. For another, he removed two people from a photograph entirely. Commenting on the issue, Sean D. Elliot, ethics committee chairman of the National Press Photographer's Association (NPPA), said that McCurry should "uphold the ethical standards of his peers and the public, who see him as a photojournalist" and called his actions "an ethical lapse."

Some news agencies have rules against photographers using any kind of digital editing software. The Associated Press' code of ethics for photojournalists states: "The content of a photograph must not be altered in Photoshop or by any other means. No element should be digitally added to or subtracted from any photograph."

In 2015, Reuters banned the submission of RAW files and started demanding photographers submit files only in JPEG format, which makes it harder to edit visual information. A Reuters spokesperson told PetaPixel: "While we aim for photography of the highest aesthetic quality, our goal is not to artistically interpret the news."

Although none of the pictures featured on our list would qualify for news, they haven't been digitally manipulated. So, yes, that giant avocado is actually real! Let us know your favorite pics from this list in the comments, Pandas. And while you're here, be sure to check out similar articles featuring 100% real photos that seem fake here and here!