Can we trust scientific images in the era of AI? (opens in new tab)

A 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 , the picture felt instantly real and inspiring for many. But when almost anyone can in seconds from a text prompt using artificial intelligence, how do people decide which image is real? The proliferation of AI-generated science images in public spaces is not simply a misinform...