Attribution Anxiety in the Age of Synthetic Media: Digital Ethnographic Specimens of Lay AI Detection

This dataset contains a short-form digital ethnographic report and two primary visual specimens documenting lay responses to perceived AI-generated media in public online comment threads. The materials examine how accusations of “AI-ness” function as social and epistemic gestures rather than technical detection claims. The analysis focuses on affective responses—uncertainty, irritation, and dismissal—arising from the degradation of traditional human/non-human interpretive cues. Included are: A formalized micro-ethnographic report with behavioral taxonomies Two screenshots capturing naturally occurring public comments used as primary specimens The dataset is intended for research in digital ethnography, AI reception studies, media studies, and sociotechnical discourse analysis. No private data were accessed; all materials originate from publicly visible interactions.