Pope Francis wears a long white waterproof coat, with a generous hood: it sounds strange, but it’s been something that’s been seen and shared on social media in recent days – and many thought it was real. The explanation lies in artificial intelligence: the fake image was created by Midjourney software.
It all started on Friday, when the photo was first posted on Reddit titled “The Pope Drip,” According to “Business Insider”. Then, as is usual in the world of social networks, it did not take long to spread, specifically on Twitter and through the hand of various public figures, such as the cases of model Chrissy Teigen or influential From the far right is Ian Miles Cheung.
Although the picture of the Pope may seem realistic at first glance, there are indications that it is fake. Henry Ader explains, specializing in artificial intelligence. The hand that appears to be holding a drink is a “distorted mess” and appears to be “mixed up”, just as in the area of the glasses there is a “contrast” with the shadow on the face.
Midjourney, created by David Holz in July last year, uses artificial intelligence to create images using text descriptions provided by users. Holz said In an interview with Forbesin September, that the goal of the startup in San Francisco, in the United States, is “to make humans more creative, not to make creative machines.”
Pictures created by the program of such personalities as the former President of the United States, Donald Trump, the Russian President, Vladimir Putin or the millionaire Elon Musk have become popular. just last week, A fake photo of Trump allegedly being detained by police has gone viral.
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The world of AI-generated images is relatively new, with many companies making this type of tool available only in the past few months, writes to “Forbes”. Fake images have been around for a long time, but with software like Midjourney anyone can, using text, describe the image they want to get – and create it on the spot.
Eder indicates Midjourney’s progress It was “surprising”, bearing in mind that the program is already in its fifth version, and warns that it can create false news and images of politicians in a very “disguised” way. The expert points to safety or ethical concerns, with companies in a “competitive racing environment,” where they’re trying to be seen as “the first to step forward.”