A new picture is pinned to the club board outside the library. It shows a heron, Harbor Point's mascot, wearing a graduation cap on the school roof.
Comet snaps her fingers. "That is amazing! Our mascot graduated. Let's put it in the yearbook."
Wren studies the picture closely. "What does the evidence say? Who took it? When? There is no name and no label."
A student from the art club walks by and grins. "I made that with an image generator, just for fun."
Comet blinks. "Half my Biology class thinks it is real."
Nova projects a short checklist beside the board. "Would you like a hint?" she asks. "Ask what makes any picture or post worth trusting."
Wren hands you the checklist. "You are our reviewer. Can we trust this one?"
How do we tell what is real, and who owns what SH-1 makes?
This week you will check a photo, a flyer and two SH-1 quizzes, and design a label for everything SH-1 makes.
The heron photo, the club board and Harbor Point are a made-up example. The photo shows only a bird and a roof.
NIST describes high-integrity information as information that can be trusted.
It separates fact from fiction, opinion and inference. It admits what is uncertain.
It says how well it was checked. It can be traced back to its original source.
| Integrity check | The heron photo |
|---|---|
| Separates fact from fiction | No: nothing says it is made up |
| Admits what is uncertain | No: it is just posted |
| Says how well it was checked | No: nobody checked it |
| Can be traced to its source | Only by asking around; no name or label |
NIST says generative AI makes it easier to produce content that does not separate fact from opinion or fiction.
It also makes it easier to produce content that does not admit uncertainty, and to make a lot of it.
That is row R5 in the crew's risk register: information integrity.
| Statement | True or false? |
|---|---|
| High-integrity information can be traced to its original source. | ? |
| If a picture looks real, it must be real. | ? |
| Generative AI can make it easier to produce content that blurs fact and fiction. | ? |
| High-integrity information admits what is uncertain. | ? |
Great eye, reviewer. Tomorrow you will meet a mistake and a trick, and learn to tell them apart.