How to Spot an AI-Generated Image Like the 'Balenciaga Pope'

For years, the public has been warned about the risk posed by AI-generated images, also known as deepfakes. But until very recently, it has been relatively easy to discern an AI-generated image from a photograph. Over the weekend, an AI-generated image of Pope Francis wearing a Balenciaga puffer jacket went viral online, fooling many internet users. In just a matter of months, publicly-accessible AI image generation tools have grown powerful enough to generate photorealistic imagery. While the image of the Pope did contain some telltale signs of fakery, it was convincing enough to fool many internet users--including the celebrity Chrissy Teigen. "I thought the Pope's puffer jacket was real and didn't give it a second thought," she wrote.