It is February 2026. I am scrolling Reddit’s “isthisAI” forum, where users post photographs and videos and ask for help determining their validity. In one post, a photograph shows an iguana perched on a woman’s head as she peruses a Walmart deli cheese case. The original poster writes, “Is this picture that my uncle swears he took at Walmart, ai or real? I cannot figure it out.” In response, users debate the reptiles’ greenness, asking whether they really are that bright. Others note that the cheese brand names are visible in the photograph: President Brie. Athenos Feta . For them, this confirms that the photograph is real—AI couldn’t replicate such brands. Some argue that the photograph is simply a low-quality picture; this is what makes it seem artificial despite being real. And so on. Article continues after advertisement I scroll through post after post. There is an astronaut in a sunflower field. A child bouncing a basketball on a driveway of sheer ice.…