You usually cannot tell whether a game trailer was made with generative AI just by watching it. The strongest evidence is a specific statement from the developer or publisher, supported where possible by provenance information from the original video. Visual oddities, missing metadata, and detector results are not proof on their own.
Start with the developer or publisher’s statement
Find the trailer on the game’s official channel and read its description. Look for an explanation that refers specifically to the trailer’s images, video, audio, or editing—not simply a general statement that the studio uses AI.
Check for the same information in an official developer statement, press kit, or production account. A disclosure that AI was used somewhere in development does not establish that the trailer contains AI-generated material.
Specificity matters. C2PA guidance says source disclosures should “objectively describe the core processes involved in the creation of an asset.” Its guidance also notes that “Made with AI” may not say whether an asset was generated in full or only edited with generative AI. Read the C2PA User Experience Guidance for Implementers for its recommendations on describing an asset’s creation.
Check the original file for provenance information
If the publisher provides a downloadable original video, check whether it carries C2PA Content Credentials or other provenance information. Read what the credential actually records and who signed it; do not treat the mere presence of a credential as evidence that the trailer was AI-generated.
Content Credentials are provenance data recorded in manifests. C2PA’s trust model associates a credential with the identity linked to its signing key. A credential may help reveal recorded origin or editing history, but it reflects what the creator or workflow recorded and what remains available in the file. C2PA credentials can describe media that was not generated with AI, too. See the C2PA Technical Specification, version 2.1.
Do not assume that a video without credentials was made without AI. A platform upload, file format, or editing workflow may not preserve provenance information, and not every trailer will have a credential available.
Treat visual clues as leads, not proof
An unusual frame or inconsistent detail can be a reason to look more closely, but appearance alone cannot reliably establish how a trailer was made. Compression, motion blur, compositing, animation, stylization, and ordinary editing can all affect what a frame looks like. The official materials cited here do not validate any visual artifact as a reliable standalone test for generative AI in game trailers.
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If you describe something that looks unusual, frame it as an observation and seek corroboration. Avoid turning a visual impression into a claim that a developer used AI.
Understand what an AI checker can—and cannot—tell you
A checker is useful only within the scope its provider documents. OpenAI describes checks for supported OpenAI provenance signals in supported images and audio. That is not a general-purpose test for an arbitrary game trailer or for media made with other AI systems.
OpenAI also says its signals may be unavailable when unsupported, missing, or degraded, and are not designed to detect content from other AI models. A positive result is therefore narrow evidence about a supported signal, not a complete account of a trailer’s production. A negative result does not rule out AI use. OpenAI further cautions that provenance signals do not establish that content is accurate, legally owned, unedited, or shown in the correct context. Read its provenance signals guidance before interpreting a checker result.
Read platform labels in their policy context
A platform disclosure reflects that platform’s rules; it is not, by itself, a forensic finding about a particular trailer. YouTube’s guidance covers disclosure of altered or synthetic content and distinguishes that from production assistance, such as using generative tools to help create or improve an outline, script, thumbnail, title, or infographic. Consult YouTube’s current disclosure guidance for the platform’s wording.
A PC Gamer report dated January 16, 2026, described a Steam disclosure-form change focused on AI-generated assets in marketing or content consumed by players, rather than efficiency uses of AI tools behind the scenes. Because that is secondary reporting and platform policies can change, check Valve’s current developer documentation before treating the report as a statement of Steam’s current rules. The report is available from PC Gamer.
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Keep your conclusion at the level the evidence supports. A specific official disclosure can establish what the publisher says about the trailer; provenance can provide a record of origin or editing when it is available and trustworthy. If neither settles the question, say that the production method could not be verified rather than presenting suspicion as fact.
Quick Recap
- Disclosed use: An official statement specifically says generative AI was used in the trailer.
- Recorded provenance: An available credential describes the asset’s origin or editing; report what it says and who signed it.
- Unverified suspicion: A visual impression, absent credential, or out-of-scope checker result does not establish AI use.
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