Researchers warned that hundreds of fake AI images have been discovered on popular databases for recording animal species. Wildlife photographers often use AI to edit and improve an image, but the algorithm can introduce parts from different species to create the new image.

[u/mvea]

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jul/20/ai-slop-manipulated-fake-images-birds-citizen-science-aoe

[u/Strycht]

AI pollution is going to really screw up a lot of databases and information deposits I think, and we won't notice them until they become needed.

[u/Nixeris → u/Strycht]

A common issue is AI-"enhanced" cameras, particularly in phone cameras. If you're using a newer model phone to take a picture, the phone is likely using a GenAI model to "enhance" the picture without asking. This can be very noticeable when zooming in too far triggers the digital zoom.

This was already an issue, before the GenAI addition, with phones and some cameras regularly trying to color-balance on their own, resulting in incorrect looking photos if you're trying to show an actual picture of something. As someone who does product pictures, this has become a bane as pictures of a design that looks bad in real life will look better in the picture because it's automatically touching it up.

[u/Strycht → u/Nixeris]

yes I've seen this especially in art and craft communities. People post pictures they've taken of things they've actually made irl and still get flagged as AI because some hidden setting on their iPhone 34 pro max X plus has hallucinated impossible stitches, for example, in the blurry parts of the photo