from 'puffy pope' to trump's arrest & russia's blue plague, fake AI images are going viral

AI fakes take the internet by storm

By now, you’ve probably seen the viral images of the Pope in a puffy coat or the arrest of Donald Trump. You may have even seen images of the Blue Plague in Russia and wondered if you were blocking something important from your memory. If you haven’t figured it out yet: They’re fake – AI-generated, to be exact. And while it’s not the first time AI images have gone viral, apparently nothing has ever spread so quickly and widely, and never have such images left so many people questioning whether they’re real or not.

In only a few months, generative artificial intelligence has progressed from the photorealistic images of DALL·E 2 and Midjourney to even more new tools that create realistic videos and entire movies using only words. All indications are that artificial intelligence isn’t going to slow down anytime soon, and while it’s admittedly fun to experiment with it, there’s a truth that it poses a certain threat – especially in the context of misinformation.

The Pope Drip | image by u/trippy_art_special via Reddit

Balenciaga pope

On Friday, March 24, 2023, a picture of the Pope wearing a fashionable puffer jacket began circulating on the Internet. The image was posted to a Midjoureny subreddit and soon became known as ‘Pope Drip,’ ‘Balenciaga Pope,’ or simply ‘Puffy Pope.’ Over the course of the weekend, the image spread as a funny meme on various social media platforms. Soon it became the subject of debunking.

On closer inspection the image can easily be identified as an AI creation: the skin texture and distorted details give it away. But at first glance, many thought the image was real. Perhaps people wanted to believe it was real because there is something funny about a man of God being portrayed as trendy. And although many believed it -even celebrities admitted that they fell for the image- it soon turned out that the image was artificially created.

‘I think Balenciaga pope might be the first real mass-level AI misinformation case. Kinda cool to watch tbh.’ shared Twitter user Ryan Broderick (@broderick). ‘My theory as to why it’s fooling so many (myself initially included) is that the pope aesthetically exists in the same uncanny valley as most AI art’.

The Pope Drip | image by u/trippy_art_special via Reddit

the arrest of Donald Trump

A little earlier than the Puffy Pope image, the Internet was already making news with images of Donald Trump’s arrest, which, as you probably guessed, was also fake. The images were posted on Twitter by a user named Eliott Higgings, who pointed out right at the beginning that the images were artificially created. ‘Making pictures of Trump getting arrested while waiting for Trump’s arrest.’ Higgings wrote in his post. Still, some social media users seem to have been tricked.

The most likely reason for this is that the former president could actually be indicted for paying hush money to a woman with whom he allegedly had an affair. So far, he has not been charged with any crime, but many thought the pictures were real. They are indeed quite realistic, but as in the case of the ‘Balenciaga Pope’, a few warped details reveal the truth.

image by @EliotHiggins via Twitter

the blue plague in Russia

Although the incidents involving the trendy Pope and the arrest of Donald Trump can be easily dismissed, other AI-generated content could cause even greater confusion, such as the realistic images of historical events that never really happened. Social media platform Reddit is filled with such Midjourney images depicting events like the Blue Plague in Russia.

The images show an alleged outbreak of the Blue Plague, which ravaged Russia in the 1970s, devastating land and properties and affecting everyone in its path. The haunting images depict afflicted soldiers and civilians coughing up blue spores, as well as individuals in protective Hazmat suits.’The Blue Plague spread in all the major Russian Cities, the only way to escaping it was to flee Earth, but it followed them in the dark.’ original poster u/kawaiilovecraft shared on Reddit.

the infamous Blue Plague incident (70s, USSR) | image by u/kawaiilovecraft on Reddit

the threat of hyperrealistic AI images

Realistic AI-generated images are nothing new: For several years, we have observed ‘deep fakes’ on the Internet, spreading confusion, excitement and alarm among many people. So far, you can still spot fake images (and videos) if you look closely, but with the rapid progress of AI technology, these fakes will become more and more real.

In the near future, it may even become impossible for humans to distinguish a real image from a fake. This is worrisome on many levels, but especially in terms of misinformation. If artificial intelligence technology falls into the wrong hands, it could be used for malicious purposes and wreak havoc on the masses. One thing is certain: principles and guidelines for the ethical use of AI must be enforced and strengthened throughout the digital world if we are to have any chance of a harmonious coexistence between artificial intelligence and humanity.

the infamous Blue Plague incident (70s, USSR) | image by u/kawaiilovecraft on Reddit