How to spot an AI nail design image
By Rebecca Hitchon | 28 September 2025 | Expert Advice, Feature, Technology
Photo created using ChatGPT
AI-generated nail images are becoming increasingly prevalent across digital platforms, and while you might think ‘I’m savvy, I can detect a fake nail image’, know that AI is savvy too.
When the world first cottoned on to the potential of artificial intelligence image generators, it’s likely you saw some strange-looking AI nail designs – perhaps on hands with seven fingers and no thumbs. The technology wasn’t so advanced then, and while it still makes mistakes, its development means that AI nail images might not be as obvious as you think.
That’s why we’ve put together this handy guide, featuring eight tips to detect AI-generated nail pictures.
Look at the details
AI programmes create images using data from pictures online, but can struggle to combine this data comprehensibly. This is why a nail image might seem realistic overall, but a check of details such as logos, text or patterns can help you to detect AI-generated mistakes.
Aberdeen-based nail artist, Katie Ru of @i.katie.ru, comments: “AI nail designs often feature elements that wouldn’t make sense spatially on a nail – like impossibly detailed 3D textures, or art that ‘floats’ without flow or purpose. Sometimes, there may be an extra finger or a finger missing. When you know how real hands move and what designs look like on real nails, you can tell if an image is synthetic.”
Check for perfection
If a nail design seems too good to be true, it probably is. You know from your work that skin and nail perfection don’t exist, so don’t be fooled by overly smooth, airbrushed and glossy textures.
We reached out to Scratch’s Instagram followers to find out how they detect AI nail images, and the most common response was nail and skin perfection. Respondents referred to doll or silicone-like skin textures without wrinkles.
Consider lighting
When combining data to create an image, AI programmes can incorrectly present natural lighting and shadows. For example, the lighting on nail art might be inconsistent with the rest of an image, or the shadow of a hand may not line up if pieced together from various data sources. Alternatively, lighting may be too consistent across a picture, creating an airbrushed effect.
Examine the resolution
An image’s resolution refers to its level of detail and definition, and AI programmes can struggle to create a coherent resolution throughout an image. This may present as a mix of extremely focused and blurry areas, or inconsistent textures across one picture.
Look for watermarks
Some AI image generators add a watermark to their creations, which is a clear signifier of their origin. On Meta’s social media platforms, like Instagram and Facebook, a post shows an ‘AI info’ tag when either the account behind the content, or the Meta team, has flagged that it was created using AI.
Use an AI image detector
There are tools that can calculate if an image was produced using artificial intelligence, and the level of creative input from a human. While conclusions can vary across these – meaning they can’t be fully trusted, the tools can offer a basic insight into the role AI has played in a picture’s production. Here are some examples of AI image detectors:
Investigate the source
Just as you might inspect the source of a piece of news to determine if it’s fake, the same can be done for social media nail images. Ask yourself: does the account that has shared the nail picture seem like a reliable source, and what is the purpose of its posts? How many followers does it have, and who are they? What are the comments on its posts like?
Check the metadata
Nail images taken by a human contain photographic information called metadata, such as the camera make, date and time the photo was taken, exposure settings and GPS coordinates if location services were enabled. AI-generated pictures will likely lack this.
There are simple ways to check if an image contains metadata. This information is stored in an EXIF (exchangeable image file format) within a picture file. It can be viewed by uploading an image to websites like www.exifmeta.com, or right clicking on a picture file on a computer and selecting ‘Properties’ (on Windows) or ‘Get Info’ (on Mac).
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