How To Check EXIF Data For AI Image Clues

Image files carry hidden information called metadata. EXIF is the part cameras fill in; IPTC and XMP are used by editing software, publishers and, increasingly, AI tools. Reading them can reveal how an image was made, when the data survives.

Fields that hint at AI

• IPTC Digital Source Type: a value such as "trainedAlgorithmicMedia" means the creator marked the image as AI-generated. Google, Adobe and others use it.
• Software or CreatorTool: names such as Midjourney, DALL-E, Stable Diffusion, Firefly or Leonardo.
• PNG text chunks: Stable Diffusion apps save the prompt, seed, sampler and model in a "parameters" field; ComfyUI saves "prompt" and "workflow."
• UserComment or Description: sometimes holds the prompt.
• C2PA entries: Content Credentials, which may record AI generation.

What real camera data looks like

A photo straight from a camera or phone usually has make and model (such as "Canon EOS R6"), exposure time, aperture, ISO, focal length, lens, a date taken and sometimes GPS. A full set of these is a good sign, though it can be copied or faked.

How to read it

• In Chrome: AI Image Detector (made by Patrick Bushe, who runs this site) reads EXIF, IPTC, XMP and PNG data when you right-click an image, highlights AI signals and camera fields, and shows the raw metadata.
• On your computer: ExifTool reads every field in a file. Windows Properties and Mac Preview's Inspector show the basics.

The limits

• Stripped data: screenshots and most social media uploads remove metadata entirely.
• Easy to edit: ExifTool and other programs can add, remove or change any field.
• Missing isn't meaningful: many real photos have no metadata, and many AI images never had any.

Treat metadata as a strong clue when it points to AI, and a weak one when it's empty.

See checking source and metadata and Midjourney metadata.