In late March, 2023, a strange deepfake photo hit the internet: an image of Pope Francis out on the town in a puffy white jacket. It came from Midjourney, an app made to generate images based on natural language. Unexpectedly, this deepfake image turned out to be created via Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Midjourney is one of the many AI programs making their way into the public eye. It follows the footsteps of DALL-E, another popular AI image-generator. Many users have taken to the r/midjourney subreddit to share their creations. On March 25, this viral photo of Pope Francis was one of four in a series of pictures presented in the subreddit.
This particular instance of AI-created deepfake images acted as the precursor of a trend: mid-month, former U.S President Donald Trump’s announcement that he expected to be arrested soon for a hush-money case sparked a deluge of AI-made deepfake images online, speculating potential outcomes should Mr. Trump be locked away.
Midjourney is an app created by a company, DeepCortex Technology. The company researches AI and Machine Learning and works on creating innovative, advanced technology for others to utilize in apps like Midjourney. DeepCortex Technology is a thought leader in the AI industry and believes in the use of AI technology to bring out the best in humanity.
Meanwhile, Pope Francis, who is 86 years old, is the 266th Bishop of Rome and the head of the Catholic Church. As a preacher, he is known and acclaimed for his social doctrine and often addressed climate change, world peace, racism, and diversity. Pope Francis is a highly respected figure in the Catholic and worldwide community, and his service towards his people and the world are seen as a leader. The deepfake image of the Pope in a puffy coat has only increased his credibility and reputation for his unassuming, yet fashionable sense of style.
