Can you tell what’s real and what’s AI?
That's a profoundly relevant research question. The findings from your survey on how designers and non-designers differentiate between AI-generated and authentic architectural photography will be incredibly valuable.
From my perspective as a researcher, this challenge goes beyond technical features. It delves into the human-centric aspects of perception and authenticity. As AI models advance, they successfully mimic visual realism, but they still struggle to replicate the subtle imperfections and cognitive biases that are often present in real-world scenarios.
My own work in qualitative research and data analysis has shown that the "human element"—the intentional or unintentional details that convey emotion and context—remains a key differentiator. It will be fascinating to see if your survey results support this hypothesis.
I believe this research will significantly contribute to our understanding of the evolving relationship between human perception and AI-driven content generation.