How to Use Winston AI for Image Analysis

Overview

Winston AI's image analysis feature lets you detect whether an image was created by AI or by a human. Beyond a simple AI score, it also extracts embedded metadata — EXIF, IPTC, C2PA, and ICC Profile — so you can understand where an image came from and whether it carries any provenance information. Advanced plan users also get access to deep forensic tools like Error Level Analysis, noise maps, and edge anomaly heat maps.

Step 1: Open the Image Detection Tab

Log in to your Winston AI account and click Image Detection in the left sidebar. The page is split into two areas: a submission panel on the left where you upload or link an image, and a results and history panel on the right.

Step 2: Submit an Image

You have two ways to submit an image for scanning.

Upload a file — drag and drop an image onto the upload zone, or click to browse your device. Winston accepts JPEG, PNG, and WebP files up to 10 MB. If your file is larger than 5 MB, it will be automatically resized before being sent for analysis so that the scan still completes successfully.

Paste an image URL — if the image is hosted online, paste its direct URL into the text field below the upload zone. The URL must point to a publicly accessible image ending in .jpg, .jpeg, .png, or .webp. Private or login-protected URLs will not work.

In both cases, the image must be at least 256 × 256 pixels. If it is smaller than that, Winston will display a warning and ask you to try a different image.

Step 3: Choose Your Scan Type

Before hitting Scan Image, select which type of scan you want to run.

Basic Scan costs 200 credits and gives you a quick AI vs. human probability score. It is available on all paid plans and is the default option.

Advanced Scan costs 500 credits and adds deep forensic analysis on top of the probability score. It runs additional detection tools on the image and produces visual analysis outputs that help explain the verdict. Advanced scanning is available on the Advanced and Elite plans only — if you are on the Essential AI plan, the option will be grayed out with an upgrade prompt.

If you run a Basic scan first and then want the full forensic breakdown, you can upgrade that same scan to Advanced from the results view for 300 credits, without having to re-upload the image.

Step 4: Run the Scan

Click Scan Image. Winston will validate the image, check your credit balance, and dispatch the scan. For Basic scans, results typically appear within a few seconds. Advanced scans take a little longer because of the additional forensic processing — a progress modal will keep you updated while it runs. Credits are deducted only after the scan completes successfully.

Reading Your Results

Once the scan finishes, the results panel updates with two main numbers: the AI-generated probability and the human-created probability, displayed as percentages. These two scores always add up to 100%.

For Advanced scans, four additional forensic analysis images are shown beneath the score:

Error Level Analysis (ELA) highlights areas of the image that show inconsistent compression levels — a common sign that parts of the image were composited or edited after the fact.

Residual Noise Maps visualize sensor noise patterns across the image. AI-generated images often lack the natural, camera-specific noise structure that real photographs carry, and this map makes those gaps visible.

Edge Anomaly Heat Map flags areas where edge sharpness is unnaturally uniform or synthetic-looking, which is a frequent artifact of diffusion-based image generators.

CFA Pattern Analysis examines the color filter array demosaicing pattern in the image. AI-generated images typically do not exhibit the authentic CFA structure of a real camera sensor, and this tool surfaces those anomalies.

Metadata Panels

Below the score, Winston displays any metadata extracted directly from the image file, organized into sections:

EXIF contains technical information written by the camera or software that created the image — things like shutter speed, ISO, GPS coordinates, capture timestamp, and device make and model.

IPTC holds editorial metadata such as headline, caption, copyright notice, author name, and keywords. This is commonly used by photographers and news agencies.

ICC Profile describes the color space and rendering intent of the image, which can sometimes reveal which application generated or edited it.

C2PA (Content Credentials) is a cryptographic provenance standard supported by tools like Adobe Firefly, ChatGPT, and select cameras. If an image was created or edited with a C2PA-compatible tool, this section will show the manifest information, including the claim generator, signature, and active manifest ID. Most images will not have C2PA data — its absence does not mean the image is AI-generated.

Sharing, History, and Downloads

Once you have results, three actions are available at the top of the results panel.

Share opens a modal where you can generate a shareable link for the scan. Recipients get read-only access to the results. Link sharing is off by default.

Download exports a PDF report of the scan results.

Delete permanently removes the scan and all associated files from your account.

Your scan history is visible on the right side of the image detection page. Winston keeps the last 15 days of scans accessible as thumbnails. Clicking a thumbnail reloads that scan's results instantly.

Plan Access

Basic image scanning is available on the Essential AI, Advanced, and Elite plans, as well as during the free trial. Advanced image scanning is restricted to the Advanced and Elite plans.

During the free trial, you can run up to 5 Basic scans and 1 Advanced scan before being prompted to upgrade.

Credits at a Glance

Credits are only charged after a successful scan. If a scan fails for any reason, nothing is deducted from your balance.

Tips for Best Results

Use the original, uncompressed version of an image whenever possible. Screenshots of images, heavily watermarked versions, or images that have been re-saved multiple times may affect detection accuracy. For URL submissions, make sure the link points directly to the image file and is not behind a login, a redirect, or a CDN that blocks automated requests. AI-generated images that have been heavily edited after generation can also skew results in either direction. Read this article about what images work best with Winston AI.