'Which one is real?' AI video blurs line between truth and illusion

A recent Instagram video has gone viral, showcasing the stunning and often unnerving capabilities of artificial intelligence (AI) in editing visuals.

The video, which features a woman interacting with everyday objects, leaves viewers stunned as they try to distinguish between real and AI-generated visuals.

The clip opens with a seemingly simple question: "Which one is AI?" The woman stands in front of two identical benches, both appearing convincingly real. But in a shocking twist, one bench dissolves into thin air, revealing it was completely AI-generated.

The video escalates further as the woman holds up two purses and again asks, “Which one is real?” As the suspense builds, one of the purses slowly transforms into a potato, leaving viewers questioning their eyes.

Many social media users flooded the comments section, admitting they were unable to tell the difference between the real and AI-generated objects.

“This is CRAZY editing skills unmatched I fear,” one user commented, while another wrote, “Omg the potato/purse one got me.” A third remarked, “I love this, it’s kinda scary what people can do and what people will believe because of AI, but still very interesting.”

Photo: ScreenGrab

The video is a prime example of how AI is revolutionizing visual content creation.

Hyper-realistic deepfakes, seamless object replacements, and editing tools have made it increasingly difficult to distinguish between real and fabricated imagery.

One viewer commented, “I couldn’t figure any of them out until the pirate,” referencing another AI-created illusion within the video. Other users expressed similar feelings of awe and unease, with one saying, “I feel severely manipulated right now,” and another describing the final scene as “too crazy.”