The creator of the viral Pope Francis deepfake has revealed the truth behind the image

THE more viral image of the weekend on social media was that of Pope Francis dressed in a white camper Of the brand Balenciaga. The commented garment has elicited all kinds of reactions, but the picture was not realbut it was created with the Midjourney AI tool.

Now, the creator of the photograph has explained how he generated the image that fooled the world. Regard Paul Xaviera 31-year-old construction worker who would not share his last name for fear of reprisals.

As explained to the US portal BuzzFeedNewsPablo Xavier was under the influence of hallucinogenic mushrooms when he came up with the idea of ​​generating the image.

“I try to do fun stuff and psychedelic art. It suddenly occurred to me. I thought I should use the Pope. Then everything went smoothly: the Pope in a Balenciaga coat, walking the streets of Rome or Paris,” she said.

Pablo Xavier generated the first three images last Friday. “When I first saw them I thought they were perfect,” he acknowledged. For this the young man shared them in a Facebook group specializing in art generated by artificial intelligence and later on Reddit.

A few minutes later, Xavier was moved when he discovered that the images had gone viral. “I didn’t expect it to explode like this. I was amazed,” he told US media.

The photographs have become so popular that the author it was banned from Reddit a few hours later to share your work. “Many people thought they were real without a doubt. He’s crazy,” she said.

Additionally, Pablo Xavier criticized those who used these photos to criticize the Catholic Church.

The deepfake debate

This type of AI technology that allows you to create fake and highly realistic videos or images, which can fool people into believing they are real, was born in 2019.

A technique called “machine learning” (machine learning) is used to create a deepfake, which uses complex algorithms to analyze large amounts of data and learn patterns.

In this case, machine learning is used analyze and learn patterns of a person specifically, like their face or voice, and is then used to create a fake version of that person.

In the case of the Pope, the viralization of this false image has once again raised alarm bells warning that this type of deepfakes can become dangerous weapons in the futureas they generate disinformation or, even worse, false information interested in political or ideological motives.

His Brother’s Death: The Origin of His AI Art

But the story of Pablo Xavier and art generated through artificial intelligence has a sad beginning. The young man began testing this technology after the death of one of his brothers last November.

“It all started with pain. I created images of my deceased brother,” he explained. After these first experiments, Pablo Xavier was fascinated by the artistic possibilities offered by artificial intelligence.

Pablo Xavier grew up in a Catholic family, but says he doesn’t feel part of the religion. But he says he has no animosity towards the pontiff either. “I just found it funny to see the Pope in a weird jacket,” he said.