What can image metadata tell you?
An image file may contain camera details, editor names, generation prompts, or signed history. These clues differ in reliability and are sometimes removed before you receive the file.
Camera EXIF is editable
A camera make or timestamp is useful context, but ordinary EXIF fields are not proof of camera capture. Software can rewrite them.
Prompt fields can identify a workflow
Some generation tools embed prompts and settings. Their presence is a useful clue about the file, but unsigned metadata may be copied or forged.
Signed history is different
Content Credentials add tamper-evident signed assertions. Even then, check exactly what the record says and whether it validates for this particular file.
No metadata is common after screenshots or sharing. It should never be interpreted as proof of human creation.