"Let's Buy the White Glossy 'Gyohwang Padding'... It Was a Fake Drawn by AI"

First Appearance on Online Community Reddit
Some Claim It Spreads 'Fake News'

A photo of Pope Francis going out wearing a white long padded jacket and a cross necklace was revealed to be a fake created by artificial intelligence (AI).

According to foreign media including Forbes on the 26th (local time), the problematic fake photo first appeared last weekend on the American online community Reddit. In the photo, Pope Francis is wearing a white long padded jacket that appears to have a glossy texture. A shiny silver necklace stands out over the padding.

A photo of Pope Francis wearing a white long padded jacket and a cross necklace while going out was proven to be a fake created by artificial intelligence (AI). [Image source=Twitter]

This photo rapidly spread through social networking services (SNS) such as Twitter. Georgetown professor Don Moynihan even posted on Twitter, "What brand is the padded jacket that Pope Francis is wearing?"

The image was confirmed to be a fake photo created using the AI tool Midjourney. Forbes compared it to a "counterfeit bill in reality," noting that it is so sophisticated that most people believe the photo is real.

Actress Chrissy Teigen wrote, "The Pope’s padded jacket looked real, and I didn’t even suspect it was fake," adding, "There will be no way to survive in the future technology era."

However, it can be observed that the hand gesture of Pope Francis in the photo is particularly awkward, and it is known that this AI struggles with drawing hands.

Confusion Intensifies as Fake Images of Celebrities Appear One After Another

Recently, fake news using AI-generated fake images has been indiscriminately produced, requiring special caution.

Fake images of Pope Francis, Russian President Vladimir Putin, actor Will Smith, and other celebrities have appeared one after another, causing an increasing number of people to express confusion.

On the 21st, a fake image showing former U.S. President Donald Trump handcuffed and being arrested circulated. On Twitter and other platforms, the photo spread with the explanation, "Former President Trump was arrested in Manhattan." This photo was also created by AI.

In February, a fake image of a firefighter holding a child from T?rkiye spread on social media and was misused for criminal purposes. In the AI-generated photo, the firefighter has six fingers.

Greek newspaper OMEA explained that the photo was created using AI by a member of the Aegean Sea fire brigade to support colleagues dispatched to T?rkiye.