# Do AI image detectors still work on screenshots and reposted images?

Source: https://creatisimo.net/topic/do-ai-image-detectors-still-work-on-screenshots-and-reposted-images/
Site: Creatisimo, category Is this AI?
Published: 2026-10-24. Updated: 2026-10-24. Replies: 0.

## Question by Yusuf O., 2026-10-24

Not reliably, in my experience so far. I run the nonprofit's social accounts and check viral images before we share them. When I feed a detector the original file I sometimes get a clear answer. When I feed it a screenshot or a version that has been reposted a few times, the answer is often a middle-of-the-road score or a different verdict from the one I got on the better copy.

What I have noticed over the last few weeks:

- The same image gave "likely AI" from one detector and "likely real" from another, both on a repost.
- A screenshot of an image I knew was a photograph came back flagged on one tool. I only knew it was a photograph because the photographer had posted the original.
- When I could find a higher resolution copy, the results were steadier, but that is exactly the case where I need the detector least, because I can usually trace the source.

My current working rule is that a detector score on a repost is a note in the file, not a reason to share or not share. If I cannot find the earliest copy or a credential, we do not post, and I would rather skip a viral image than guess.

What I would like to understand:

1. Why do screenshots and reposts hurt detector results? Is it compression, resizing, or something else?
2. Is there any check that survives a screenshot, or is that the point where everything is lost?
3. If I can only get the repost, what is the most defensible thing to write in our internal log?

I am a cautious person by temperament, so please tell me if I am being too cautious.

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Cite as: Creatisimo, "Do AI image detectors still work on screenshots and reposted images?", https://creatisimo.net/topic/do-ai-image-detectors-still-work-on-screenshots-and-reposted-images/, accessed 2026-10-25.