Written by Leah Dolan, CNN
On weekends, special
Fig Pope Francis turns on the Internet. The image, which has been widely shared on social media, shows the 86-year-old pope wearing a long-line white coat, nipped in at the waist, along with other winter-weather streetwear.
It seemed like a drastic departure from the usual dress code – the robes, stoles and tall pointed hats usually worn by the papal family. The dress sparked many tongue-in-cheek questions online: the Pope had something new
stylist? Has he always had a streak? The look was inspired by Rihanna’s Superbowl backup dancers.
show?
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But above all, social media users couldn’t believe the picture was real. And it wasn’t. Twitter has since attached a contextual footnote to several well-performing tweets explaining that it was AI-generated and created using a software tool called Midjourney. A 31-year-old Chicago construction worker claimed ownership of the viral image.
The AI-generated image was created using a tool called Midjourney. Credit: Travel from the center
AI (or Artificial Intelligence) imaging tools are becoming increasingly sophisticated. The technology, which generates images based on users’ written requests, has been used to help design inclusive fashion shows, create entire graphic novels and sketch new architectural forms. But as AI advances and computer-generated “deep fake” images become more convincing, many worry about the ethical implications, including the removal of subjects’ agency (putting people in situations that could be defamatory or malicious) and whether? Machine learning technology will one day make fake news undetectable.
Just last week, AI-generated photos of Donald Trump’s arrest spread like wildfire after the former president said on social media that he was about to be indicted in New York in connection with an investigative campaign finance investigation. (Trump, who has maintained his innocence, has not yet been indicted on any charges.)
AI and the future of fashion
If clothing is an important form of self-expression, then AI-generated clothing can reduce not only the power and message of clothing, but also the capacity for human autonomy. In the papacy, every garment has a religious significance. The color of the Pope’s vestments is chosen to match certain feasts: red is only worn on special occasions such as Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Pagoda because it represents the blood of Jesus Christ, while pink is only worn twice. year. Therefore, false images of the Pope wearing certain vestments other than these – or in countless other contexts – may cause resentment, concern or mistrust in the Catholic community.
Pope Francis greets the faithful during the Veritas Gaudium Assembly in Naples. Credit: Marco Cantile/LightRocket/Getty Images
Digitally altering a person’s clothing can also damage their lasting reputation. In the year A 2005 photo of Paris Hilton wearing a revealing tank top with the words “Stop Being Poor” at a nightclub became one of the first pop culture icons. It increased public perception of Hilton as an out-of-touch heiress. In the year In 2021, she publicly addressed the fake image, saying people shouldn’t “believe everything they read”. (The dress, from a fashion collection designed by Hilton’s sister Nicky, read, “Stop giving up.”)
During a conference at the Vatican on Monday, Pope Francis touted the emergence of AI technology and urged scientists to consider its impact on humanity (though he didn’t specifically mention the ire of artificiality in its own right). “I am convinced that the development of artificial intelligence and machine learning has the potential to contribute positively to the future of humanity,” Francis said, before adding: “I am convinced that this potential will only be realized if it is realized. It is a constant and constant effort by those who develop these technologies to act ethically and responsibly.” Commitment.
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“Therefore, in your discussion, I encourage you to evaluate new technologies as the main criterion of the inner dignity of every man and woman,” said Francis. “These are consistent with morality in so far as they contribute to honoring dignity and enhancing human expression at all levels of life.”
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