AI fake shows swagged-out pope in Balenciaga puffer coat
Over the weekend, an individual using the AI art program Midjourney garnered significant attention for creating an image of Pope Francis donning a coat reminiscent of something seen on a Balenciaga runway.
The image became viral not because it was outrageously absurd, but rather because it appeared plausible. The pope indeed has style, but not quite like this.
Internet culture specialist Ryan Broderick noted that the Balenciaga pope became immensely popular in a way not previously seen in AI art.
The image was apparently shared on the Midjourney subreddit on Friday along with three other variations, with the most convincing version going viral, possibly due to the lighting or background.
Many people believed the image was genuine.
While a closer examination of the image exposes details that prove it to be fake, such as a strange shadow around the glasses, an odd grasp on the object the pope is holding, and a shimmering blur.
One admires the pope’s stylish appearance and moves on. The image is particularly convincing when juxtaposed with real photos of the pope, which are eerie in their resemblance.
Plus, what’s the plausibility of the pope donning a Balenciaga coat? This is the same individual who holds meetings in front of a colossal sculpture that could be from Diablo 4, and who received a papal Lamborghini that was auctioned off for $1.2 million for charity.
His Holiness was the first pope to use Twitter. In 2007, Pope Benedict was featured on Esquire’s best-dressed list, and the Vatican issued a statement in response, stating, “The pope, in summary, does not wear Prada, but Christ.”
Pope Francis was named to Esquire’s best-dressed list in 2013.
The viral AI-generated image of the pope wearing a puffer coat was likely the first instance where a significant number of people were deceived by AI art. As technology such as Midjourney progresses, this will undoubtedly not be the last time.
As The Verge stated, the fact that the image of the pope wearing his fashionable puffer coat became incredibly popular is both alarming and reassuring.
It implies that there is currently a limit to what AI-generated forgeries are believable, yet it is alarming because this technology is evolving too quickly for any existing guarantees to remain valid for any current reassurances to hold true for long.