AI App Identifies Dinosaurs From Footprint Photos
The Spin
Narrative A
The new AI footprint system reveals serious flaws in existing dinosaur classifications, with many expert labels likely wrong since no one ever finds the actual dinosaur next to its tracks. The technology supports revolutionary findings about birdlike tracks dating back 60 million years before the earliest known bird fossils, potentially rewriting evolutionary timelines.
Narrative B
AI footprint analysis matches human expert classifications 80-93% of the time, validating decades of paleontological work rather than overturning it. The technology serves as a useful research tool and educational resource, making expert knowledge accessible to curious explorers rather than replacing scientific judgment on complex evolutionary questions.
Narrative C
Although touted as groundbreaking, the DinoTracker AI has limitations: it focuses on footprint shape rather than actual foot anatomy, meaning its classifications — and suggestions about bird origins — may be misleading without expert verification. The app's output could reinforce misinterpretations and overstate evolutionary conclusions, underscoring the continued need for cautious scientific analysis.
Metaculus Prediction
© 2026 Improve the News Foundation.
All rights reserved.
Version 6.20.3