Generate a checklist with ChatGPT to verify suspicious video claims
Job to be done: Use AI to generate a checklist for verifying suspicious video claims
🇳🇬 Ways to use this in Nigeria
Ideas to get you started, adapt to your situation.
- Student
Verify a viral video claiming a university exam has been leaked or a scholarship opportunity is fake, before sharing it or acting on the information.
- Small business
Confirm if a viral video showing a new market levy being enforced is legitimate, to avoid being scammed or unprepared for new costs.
- 9-5 employee
Verify a video circulating internally or externally that makes a suspicious claim about your company's operations or a new industry regulation, for an internal report.
What you’ll get
You will get a detailed checklist of specific details to verify a suspicious video claim, such as locations, timings, and other evidence. This approach helps you investigate the claim like a professional fact-checker, rather than asking AI to directly decide if something is fake.
Tools you need
- ChatGPT (freemium): An AI chatbot to help you break down claims and generate verification steps.
Steps
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Identify the core claim: Note down the main statement or story attached to the suspicious video. Read the message or context accompanying the video. Write down the central claim in a few words. You should have a clear, concise statement of what the video is supposedly showing or claiming.
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Open ChatGPT: Go to the ChatGPT website or app. Open your web browser or the ChatGPT app on your phone and navigate to chatgpt.com. You should see the ChatGPT chat interface, ready for you to type a message.
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Paste the claim and prompt for a checklist: Use a specific prompt to ask ChatGPT to act as a skeptical researcher and generate a verification checklist. Copy the prompt below and paste it into the chat box. Replace
[paste the video's claim here]with the claim you identified in Step 1.Act like a skeptical verification researcher. Don't tell me whether this is real. Break down what claims are being made, what evidence should exist if this were genuine, and what specific details I can independently check for the following claim: [paste the video's claim here]ChatGPT will respond with a list of questions, facts, locations, or other details you can check yourself. This list will help you investigate the video’s authenticity.
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Use the checklist to verify: Take each item from ChatGPT’s list and try to find independent evidence. For example, if ChatGPT suggests checking the location, use Google Maps or news searches. If it suggests checking for other reports, search news sites. If it suggests reverse image searching specific frames, take screenshots and use a tool like Google Images or TinEye. You will gather information that either supports or contradicts the video’s claim, allowing you to make an informed decision about its authenticity.
Original source
This workflow was inspired by a Reddit post from user /u/mysterycly, who shared their experience using AI to generate a verification checklist for suspicious videos, rather than asking the AI to directly judge authenticity.
Notes & variations
- Free-tier alternatives: You can also use other freemium AI chatbots like Gemini (gemini.google.com) or Claude (claude.ai) for this workflow, as they offer similar chat experiences.
- Common mistake: A common mistake is asking the AI directly if a video is “fake” or “AI-generated.” AI models are not reliable visual detectors and can “hallucinate” (make up) reasons for something being fake or real. Instead, use AI to generate a checklist of facts you can verify yourself.
- Tip for better results: Be as specific as possible when describing the video’s claim to ChatGPT. The more details you provide, the more relevant and useful the checklist will be.