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CBC
14-03-2025
- CBC
As AI images flood the internet, can these tools help you tell what's real?
AI image detectors promise to help cut through the flood of online content to help determine what's real and what's not — but can you rely on them to get it right? Many people now regularly turn to AI detectors to help determine if viral images are AI-generated. And as people increasingly become skeptical of even real images, those tools are in greater demand. CBC News tested five commonly-recommended free AI image detectors to see if they were accurately able to estimate whether an image was real or AI-generated. These included: AI or Not, Illuminarty, Hive Moderation, Is it AI? and a tool hosted on the open source machine learning platform Hugging Face. While many of these AI detector services have a free tier, some have pricing plans that can cost hundreds of dollars each year. The CBC's visual investigations unit ran three photos through each detector twice. The images tested include a real photo of a CBC hallway lined with lockers, a similar-looking AI-generated image, and a lower resolution, compressed version of the AI-generated image that was posted to the social media platform X. Do AI image detectors work? We tested 5 19 hours ago Duration 2:44 AI image detectors are growing in popularity as a way to determine whether an image or video shared online is real or not. CBC News' Visual Investigations team tested some of the most popular free tools online to see how effective they are — and whether you should rely on them. In the first test, AI or Not and Hive accurately labelled all three images. Illuminarty and Is it AI? got all three wrong. The detector hosted on Hugging Face accurately labelled the AI-generated images, but thought the real image was fake. In the second test, the results were the same, except this time Is it AI? labelled the real image correctly, but still got the AI-generated images wrong. "It really does depend on which system you're looking at," said Ben Y. Zhao, a computer science professor at the University of Chicago. Tests produced mixed results CBC News reached out to all five AI detector companies for comment. The CEOs of AI or Not and Hive both said their AI detectors are searching for patterns invisible to the naked eye. "While some AI-generated images may be easier to identify by common errors — like extra fingers on someone's hand, unrealistic reflections and shadows, or the mismatched scale of objects — the sophistication of AI-generated imagery is moving beyond the threshold of human detection," said Hive CEO Kevin Guo in a statement. AI or Not CEO Anatoly Kvitnitsky says their tool looks for "pixel-level patterns of content." The creator of the AI detector on Hugging Face, developer Colby Brown, says AI detection is still worth pursuing, even if it gets some images wrong. "User caution is needed," Brown said in a statement. "Individual images can fool such detectors even if they have reasonable accuracy on a larger sample (or feed) of images." The team at Is It AI? said in a statement that the test CBC News performed highlights "the ongoing challenge that AI image detectors face" as the technology develops. They also said that their tool "covers a wide range of domains and typically requires a larger and more diverse dataset to assess accuracy comprehensively." As AI image generators are continuously improving, so are detectors. Is It AI? said the company will soon release a new detection tool with "substantial improvements" in accuracy. Brown also said that he may develop a new and more advanced tool. Illuminarty didn't respond to CBC's requests for comment. WATCH | Investigating the claim AI was used to boost crowd size at Carney event: How we debunked this Carney AI claim 16 days ago Duration 1:51 Zhao says some AI detectors are better than others. "Some of them are trained on millions of images that allow them to do a better job with discerning the differences," he said. He noted that bad actors can even use AI image detectors to iterate and fine-tune fake images that would then be labelled as real. "I think the real danger is really to a lot of the folks who are not in a situation where they expect" to be targetted by AI-generated fakes, Zhao said, noting these are usually people who aren't as familiar with technology. "They're going to be easier targets for scammers and phishing scams and different kinds of things." Zhao says that old tricks for detecting AI images are becoming less reliable. Famously, early iterations of AI image generators had trouble mimicking human hands, but he says that's not the case anymore. Still, AI image generators don't get everything right, and a trained eye can often pick out details that clearly indicate AI was used. The AI image CBC News used in the test can be identified as fake with the naked eye. The lockers in the hallway have locks that are warped and blurred, for example. The overhead lights have no fixtures, a panel on the ceiling has a line running through it, and there appear to be far too many lockers for the amount of space shown in the photo. Zhao says that when people are trying to tell the difference between a real photo and an AI-generated image, thinking through the details is important. "Does it make sense for the button to be placed in this way? Does it make sense for the hair to blend in with the turtle neck that way? Those kinds of smaller details are really still tricky for models to get right," Zhao said. Methodology: During testing, CBC News sought to mimic the experience of a member of the general public. We chose five free popular online AI image detectors. We chose five free popular online AI image detectors by tallying the number of recommendations from lists featured on the first five pages of Google search results and chose the top five of those services. Three images were tested: a real photo taken by CBC reporters, an AI-generated image and a compressed version of the same AI image that was posted to X and downloaded again. The five detectors were then scored as correct or incorrect based on whether they accurately assessed whether the images were more likely created by a human or AI. The test was run twice. The AI photo was generated from Google's Gemini AI with the prompt: "Create an image of a hallway with blue lockers filling half of the hallway on the left, grey checkered carpet and light orange wall on the right, and white hallway on the left back. A red wall is at the end of the hallway."
CBC
26-02-2025
- Business
- CBC
Liberal leadership contenders vow to hit back at Trump's tariff threat in final debate
Debate is last time all 4 candidates share a stage before new leader is announced Media | Liberal leadership candidates take the stage for English debate Caption: Watch CBC News' special coverage as candidates Frank Baylis, Mark Carney, Chrystia Freeland and Karina Gould meet in Montreal for the only English-language debate in the race to become Canada's next prime minister. Then, CBC's Rosemary Barton and David Cochrane provide analysis and cover the post-debate scrums. Open Full Embed in New Tab Loading external pages may require significantly more data usage. The four Liberal leadership contenders squared off in the only English-language debate in this short race to replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Tuesday night and talk of how to defend the country from an increasingly aggressive U.S. President Donald Trump dominated the two-hour discussion. The debate was a largely congenial affair and the harshest words were reserved for their main opponent in the upcoming federal election, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, who the candidates in this race branded as a Trump-like figure who isn't well equipped to take on the president given some political similarities. There were some points of difference on how far each of the candidates were willing to go in criticizing the outgoing Trudeau. With Canada staring down the prospect of devastating U.S. tariffs and unprecedented threats to its sovereignty, the first half of the debate was consumed by talk of what the country should do to fight back against an increasingly belligerent Trump. The contenders largely agreed with one another on the prescription to Canada's current problems: hit back at Trump with dollar-for-dollar retaliatory tariffs if he starts a trade war to try and get him to back down, build up the Canadian economy and strengthen the military by spending more on defence faster than the government's existing plan. Former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney said he helped lead Canada through the Great Recession of 2008-09 and he's prepared to steer the country through another economic crisis that could come if Trump moves ahead with a 25 per cent tariff as promised. "You need experience in terms of crisis management, you need negotiation skills but you also need economic expertise," Carney said. "This is a crisis." Carney said Canada can't control what Trump does but it can control how it manages its own economy and he's promising to boost economic output after years of sluggish growth under the current Liberal government, a thinly veiled swipe at Freeland, who also served as finance minister. "Canadians have been telling me they want change — I can bring that change," he said. Carney warned it's not just an economic fight — he said he will get Canada on a better footing to push back against Trump's talk of making the country the 51st state. "We will never be part of the United States in any shape or form," he said, while promising to boost military spending to the two per cent of gross domestic product NATO target. His commitment to get to that higher military spending "by 2030" was a point of contention because two of the other candidates, former deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland and former government House leader Karina Gould, are promising to do it faster than that. "It's time for us to step up at home," Freeland said. "It's not just about pushing money out the door," Carney said when put on the defensive. Freeland said she's running now because "Trump is posing the gravest challenge our country has faced since the Second World War. He's threatening us with economic warfare." She said she's best placed to take on Trump because she went toe-to-toe with him in his first term, got a renegotiated NAFTA deal done and can do it again this time. She said she will inflict economic pain on U.S. companies and Trump's allies with retaliatory tariffs to force him to back down from this promised trade war. Freeland said she wants to immediately convene a summit with other countries Trump has targeted in recent weeks, bringing together Mexico, Panama, Denmark (which controls Greenland) and the European Union to plot a plan to stop Trump's trade aggression and sovereignty taunts. Freeland said Poilievre can't be trusted to handle the Trump threat. Saying she has a message for Trump, Freeland looked into the camera as if speaking directly to the president: "Pierre Poilievre wants to imitate you but we're going to defeat you." "Who's the worst person to stand up to Mr. Trump? Pierre Poilievre," Carney added. "He worships the man, he uses his language, he's not the right person to lead our country at this crucial time." "He's a career politician who likes to make up slogans and nothing else," said Frank Baylis, a health-care industry businessman and former MP. Carney said Canada can't take on Trump if its own economy is hobbled by persistent internal trade barriers — a tangle of federal and provincial red tape that makes it difficult to move goods and workers across borders. "If we have one Canadian economy instead of 13 economies, that more than outweighs the impact of what Trump's trying to do to us," Carney said, referencing research that shows dismantling internal trade barriers could be a big shot in the arm to the economy. Freeland agreed with the push to do away with decades-old barriers that have held back Canada's economic potential, calling Trump's threats a "golden opportunity" to make big, transformative moves. Carney said he wants to get the federal government's fiscal house in order after big-ticket spending and big growth in the size of the public service in recent years on Trudeau's watch. Freeland bristled at any suggestion that the government's fiscal track record has been poor, saying she didn't want to see Conservative talking points about spending repeated at a Liberal debate. To tackle persistent affordability issues, Carney said he will push through a middle-class tax cut to reduce the tax burden. Gould said Carney's plan to do away with the carbon tax, which hikes taxes on fuels but rebates the money collected on a quarterly basis, will actually take money out of working people's pockets. Low-income and no-income people are better off with a carbon tax than Carney's middle-class tax cut, she said. "The math doesn't add up," Gould told Carney. Carney said his plan to turbocharge the economy will also help because he wants more people to have better paying jobs, again suggesting the outgoing government's recent track record has been disappointing. "What's happened in this economy over the last five years? People's wages haven't kept pace with the rising prices," he said. He said now's the time for young people to take up a trade because he wants to unleash a major infrastructure program that builds "projects of national interest" that will require skilled workers. While lamenting slow growth, Carney said he wants to keep new programs like child care, pharmacare and dental care in place, accusing Poilievre of wanting to dismantle these signature Liberal initiatives that he said make life more affordable for people who need the help most. Later in the debate, talk turned to how to bring young Canadians back into the Liberal fold given polls show some of those voters are turning to other parties. Gould said the party has lost touch with young people and the solution isn't to become "Conservative lite." She said the party needs to be proudly progressive with an ambitious plan to get more homes built through government support and tackle climate change. Carney said the country isn't doing nearly enough to build homes and a generation of Canadians feel locked out of a path to prosperity. He said he wants to double housing starts to roughly 500,000 a year to get many more people into homes they can afford. Like Freeland, he's pitching a plan to remove the GST for first-time homebuyers, which will make properties more affordable. The Liberals will announce their new leader on March 9.
CBC
23-02-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Liberal leadership candidates take the stage for English debate
Watch CBC News' special coverage as candidates Frank Baylis, Mark Carney, Chrystia Freeland and Karina Gould meet in Montreal for the only English-language debate in the race to become Canada's next prime minister. Then, CBC's Rosemary Barton and David Cochrane provide analysis and cover the post-debate scrums.
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
How local governments in B.C. want to 'choose Canada' in the face of U.S. tariff threat
Vancouver city councillors have unanimously voted to align the city with a so-called 'Team Canada' approach other levels of government are taking in response to the U.S. tariff threat. A motion moved by the sole opposition councillor on council, the Green's Pete Fry and subsequently supercharged by the mayor's office was embraced by all of of council Tuesday. "We are completely united on this issue, and we're working together to be incredibly nimble," said Mayor Ken Sim. "And really being prepared," added Fry. "I think that's a big part of our response … coming together to find solutions to support our local economy and support Canada." The motion was originally brought as urgent new business by Fry last week, but was elevated to a special council meeting Tuesday. Fry's original motion responded to a call from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asking consumers to "choose Canada," in response to the U.S. tariff threat, by purchasing Canadian products and reducing the number of products imported from the U.S. On Monday, Trump placed a 25 per cent tariff on all aluminum and steel imports, including Canada. And other tariffs from the U.S. are still a possibility after months of threats. Canada won a 30 day reprieve from 25 per cent tariffs on virtually all its goods and 10 per cent on Canadian oil. Trump has said the tariffs are necessary to deal with what he sees as border security issues around fentanyl and illegal immigration. WATCH | CBC News' Katie DeRosa explains B.C.'s Trump's tariff pain: Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim, in concert with Fry over the last week, vastly expanded the motion to ultimately chart a path that would bolster Vancouver's economy to withstand uncertainty that could be a hallmark of President Trump's four-year term. "There's a lot of fear out there now and we're all working together to make sure we're making this place a little better for everyone, " said Sim. Council ideas are preliminary and will require staff to investigate and report back on them, but they include: Establishing an internal roundtable to facilitate the rapid response to tariffs. Possible temporary fee reductions for patio permits and special event permits. Possible property tax deferral for commercial and/or light industrial properties. Exploring so-called split business licences for businesses to offer more services without multiple licences. The motion also calls for the creation of a mayor's task force, "with a mandate to examine new pathways to make Vancouver the most competitive city for business in North America, including an aspirational goal to achieve an annual three per cent growth in GDP." The goal comes from the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, which said its three per cent challenge to local governments is meant to ensure financial security and improved affordability. "The best thing the city can do is act within its powers to make it easier to set up and run a business," said CEO Bridgette Anderson in a statement. "By speeding up permitting, reducing red tape, controlling costs, taxes and fees and continuing to support public safety, we will see meaningful benefits for our community." WATCH | CBC News explains B.C. and U.S. trade relationship: Tamara Krawchenko, associate professor in public administration at the University of Victoria and chair of the school's local governance hub, said Vancouver has been a leader in procurement policies in the past and Tuesday's motion could inspire other local governments. "I think that B.C. might be quite particularly progressive in thinking about sustainability and local supply chains in procurement at the local level," she said. "And I don't know that that's actually true across Canada." Other local B.C. governments are making plans for "buy Canada" or already have them in place in relation to procurement and services. On Feb. 3, Delta councillors passed a motion to have staff write to B.C. Premier David Eby to ask the province to, "amend all applicable legislation to allow cities to accept only Canadian businesses in procurement bids. The next day on Feb. 4, Burnaby Mayor Mike Hurley posted a notice of motion calling for a 'buy local and buy Canadian," from all residents and a similar approach be implemented for the city's procurement, "where feasible and in accordance with trade agreements and best value principles." Already buying Canadian? An email from City of Vancouver staff said in 2024, the city did direct business with 224 U.S. vendors worth $6.1 million dollars Cdn. From 2009 to the present, the city has done business with 32,000 vendors, with the vast majority, 91 per cent, of them Canadian. Eight per cent of suppliers, 2,451, were from the United States, while one per cent, 189, were from other countries. In a report going to councillors in New Westminster on Tuesday, staff said of the 2,788 vendors the city has or currently uses, 2,699, or 97 per cent, are Canadian vendors. "The city's practices around procuring goods and/or services has always been to source Canadian made alternatives first before sourcing foreign made products," said the report.
CBC
30-01-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Our Stories. Our History. Celebrate Black Excellence in February
Celebrate Black History Month with CBC's vibrant lineup showcasing the diverse tapestry of Black experiences. Laugh, learn, and be inspired by stories of triumph and resilience. Moments That Matter, a special from Being Black in Canada, takes you on a journey through the defining moments of 2024 for Black Canadians – the triumphs, the struggles, and the changes that are shaping our future. Need a good laugh? Lakay Nou is the hilarious story of a Haitian-Canadian family navigating tradition and modernity. Celebrate Black music with Summer of Soul, (…or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), a powerful documentary that captures the electrifying energy of the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival. Feature film Queen of Glory is a relatable story of an immigrant daughter finding her place in a new world. And finally, documentary series Hollywood Black shines a light on the groundbreaking Black artists who have shaped the entertainment industry. All this and more in CBC's Top 5 picks for February: Moments That Matter - Watch Free February 8 on CBC Gem This special from CBC News' Being Black in Canada highlights the events, stories, and achievements that impacted Black Canadians in 2024, from Kamala Harris' trailblazing presidential run to the controversy Katt Williams sparked with his appearance on the Shannon Sharpe podcast, Club Shay Shay, and the ongoing push for make-up inclusivity. Host Jackson Weaver explores the triumphs, struggles, and transformations that inspire change in Black Canadians. Lakay Nou - Watch Free February 1 on CBC Gem This Radio-Canada-commissioned comedy series follows Myrlande and Henri, a couple caught between two generations in their tight-knit Haitian community: their modern, Quebec-born children and the expectations of their traditional Haitian parents. Summer of Soul (…or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) - Watch Free February 1 on CBC Gem Watch Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson's Oscar®-winning documentary about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival that celebrated Black history, culture and fashion. Not far from Woodstock, NY, Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Sly & the Family Stone, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Mahalia Jackson, B.B. King and more took to the stage in a transformative experience. Queen of Glory - Watch Free February 7 on CBC Gem A lighthearted and insightful portrayal of an immigrant daughter navigating the old world and the new, feature film Queen of Glory is the story of Sarah Obeng, the brilliant child of Ghanaian immigrants, who is quitting her Ivy League PhD program to follow her married lover to Ohio. When her mother dies suddenly, she bequeaths her daughter a Christian bookstore in the Pelham Parkway section of the Bronx where Sarah was raised. A follow-up on the classic immigrant's tale, Queen of Glory provokes laughter and empathy, as its heroine is reborn through her inheritance. Hollywood Black - Watch Free February 12 on CBC Gem This four-part documentary series tells the epic story of the actors, writers, directors, and producers who fought for their place on the page, behind the camera and on the screen. From blackface to Black Panther, this series is a definitive chronicle of more than a century of the Black experience in Hollywood and a powerful reexamination of a quintessentially American story – in brilliant colour. Looking for more? Check out our Celebrating Black History Collection with over 60 series, films and documentaries including Invisible Beauty, exploring the life of Black fashion model and activist Bethann Hardison.
