Can we trust scientific images in the era of AI?

The stunning photograph from NASA’s Artemis II mission highlighting Earth’s glowing horizon among the moon’s craters sparked awe and inspiration, yet it also raised questions about the trustworthiness of scientific images in an era dominated by AI. With AI’s ability to create nearly indistinguishable visuals from simple text prompts, distinguishing between real and fabricated images has become a significant challenge. This issue underscores broader concerns about misinformation and the reliability of visual data in scientific communication, emphasizing the need for new standards and verification methods.