Snowy peaks behind golden hills in New Zealand: real or AI?

As shared

Golden grassy hills in front of a line of rocky, snow-dusted mountains under a blue sky.

Michal Klajban, via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source

REAL

This is real.

How sure we areHigh

Based on 1 strong and 0 supporting piece of evidence.

What we found

This photo shows a line of snowy peaks on the Main Divide of New Zealand's Southern Alps, with golden hills in front. Michal Klajban took it on 20 June 2020 from Yeats Ridge Hut in the West Coast Region of the South Island. He shared it on Wikimedia Commons, where the file page lists his camera, a Canon EOS 6D, the exact settings he used and the spot where he stood. The page also names the peaks in view, including Mount Bryce, Shafto Peak and Mount Harrison. Wikimedia Commons made it a featured picture, its highest rating, and it was nominated for Picture of the Year 2020. Very clean, sharp landscapes like this are often mistaken for AI. When you are unsure, look for an original file page that gives the photographer, the date and the place.

Key facts

Original source: Michal Klajban, via Wikimedia Commons
First published: Not recorded
Earlier appearances: Not recorded
The claim you saw: No caption recorded
Signs of AI: None that decide it

The evidence, strongest first

Strong Decides the answer

Original sourceWikimedia Commons file page, photo by Michal Klajban, 20 June 2020↗

Supporting Points the same way

None.

Weak Shown, not relied on

How it looksThe grass in front is messy and uneven, with dark patches and a few scattered rocks. The far peaks are jagged and no two look the same. The light falls from one side across the whole scene, so the shadows all agree.

Detector scores are often wrong, so they never decide a verdict here.

What we couldn’t establish

Anything about the moment it shows beyond what the sources above record. If you know more, tell us.

Bottom line

Real: the original source shows it.

See the original ↗Think we’re wrong?

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100% of players thought it was AI

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