The illusion of reality: How AI-generated images (AIGIs) are fooling social media users

This study investigates the deceptive impact of AI-generated images [AIGIs] on social media, focusing on content features, user engagement, and underlying psychological mechanisms. By analyzing Facebook pages and user reactions [n=8922], this research addressing a significantly underexplored research area, identifies key AIGI attributes and examines the most common user reactions. Findings reveal that cognitive biases play a remarkable role in amplifying the deceptive power of AIGIs, fostering users’ trust in fabricated content. The study explains a novel method for detecting AIGIs and AI bots in social media environment, and with the extension of Grounded Theory [GT] coding process, a robust framework for future research is also presented. Highlighting the growing threat of AIGIs in suppressing reality perception, this study calls for rapid regulatory measures, increased digital literacy and systematic monitoring to tackle the spread of the phenomenon. • AI-generated images [AIGIs] can deceive social media users with high persuasive power. • An AI content typology and detection framework are developed using Grounded Theory [GT]. • Users heavily rely on cognitive heuristics, increasing vulnerability to AI-based deception. • A newly developed model is presented to reveal user responses to AIGIs in digital environments.