Anyone Can Fake a Scientific Image with AI, Tricking Even Academic Journals – and Undermining Trust in Science

Anyone can fake a scientific image with AI, tricking even academic journals, and undermining trust in science

A photograph of Earth glowing in deep space, the moon's cratered horizon stretching across its foreground, caught many people's eyes in April 2026. Astronauts captured the image while aboard NASA's Artemis II mission, and like the famous Apollo 8 "Earthrise" image, the picture felt instantly real and inspiring for many.

Anyone can fake a scientific image with AI, tricking even academic journals – and undermining trust in science

Are you able to tell the difference between a scientific image made by a person or by an AI model? Olga Yastremska/iStock via Getty ImagesA photograph of Earth glowing in deep space, the Moon’s cratered horizon stretching across its foreground, caught many people’s eyes in April 2026. Astronauts captured the image while aboard NASA’s Artemis II mission, and like the famous Apollo 8 “Earthrise” image, the picture felt instantly real and inspiring…

Anyone can fake a scientific image with AI, tricking even academic journals – and undermining trust in science

by Nan Li, University of Wisconsin-Madison, [This article first appeared in The Conversation, republished with permission] A photograph of Earth glowing in deep space, the Moon’s cratered horizon stretching across its foreground, caught many people’s eyes in April 2026. Astronauts captured the image while aboard NASA’s Artemis II mission, and like the famous Apollo 8 “Earthrise” image, the picture felt instantly real and inspiring for many. But …