The Ethics of Creating A.I.-Generated Images of Public Figures

Over the weekend, millions of Twitter users saw Pope Francis appear on their feeds, modeling what seemed to be a custom Papal puffer coat. In reality, though, the head of the Catholic Church never wore that designer, Balenciaga-like jacket: The image was nothing more than a hyper-realistic A.I. generation. Behind this work of forgery was Pablo Xavier, a construction worker in Chicago who asked media not to use his last name for fear of backlash, reports Chris Stokel-Walker for Buzzfeed News. "I just thought it was funny to see the Pope in a funny jacket," Xavier tells the publication. Since this announcement, his condition has been improving.)