Within Synthetic Images
Why the Pope puffer fooled so many people
The Pope puffer image showed that low-stakes, funny fakes can still train people to trust style over source.
On this page
- Why the image felt believable enough to share
- How humor lowers verification pressure
- What casual fakes teach about visual trust
Page outline Jump by section
Introduction
The image of Pope Francis wearing a dramatic white puffer jacket became one of the defining AI-generated pictures of 2023. It was not a political hoax, a financial scam or a fabricated war photograph. In many ways, it was simply a joke. Yet that is precisely why it mattered.
The “Pope puffer” image showed how easily people can accept a synthetic picture when it feels plausible, entertaining and socially shareable. Millions encountered the image before learning it had been generated with Midjourney, and many assumed it was authentic. The episode became an early warning that visual realism alone was no longer a reliable guide to truth. More importantly, it demonstrated how harmless-looking fakes can reshape everyday habits of trust long before they are used for more serious deception. [Reuters+2CBS News]reuters.comImage of Pope Francis wearing oversized white puffer coat…Mar 29, 2023 — An image showing Pope Francis wearing a white-colored…
Why the image felt believable enough to share
When the image appeared online in March 2023, many viewers did not stop to investigate its origin. The picture seemed realistic enough to fit naturally into a social-media feed. Reuters, Full Fact and other fact-checking organisations later confirmed that the image was AI-generated rather than a genuine photograph. [Reuters]reuters.comImage of Pope Francis wearing oversized white puffer coat…Mar 29, 2023 — An image showing Pope Francis wearing a white-colored…
Several factors made it unusually convincing:
- The subject was instantly recognisable. Pope Francis is one of the world’s most photographed public figures.
- The clothing was surprising but not impossible. The oversized white coat looked extravagant, yet it still resembled luxury fashion that celebrities and public figures sometimes wear.
- The image quality was high. Lighting, fabric texture and facial details appeared photographically coherent.
- The scenario was low stakes. Viewers were not evaluating a serious claim about crime, conflict or public safety. They were simply reacting to an amusing image.
Because the picture did not demand urgent action or provoke fear, many people treated it as entertainment rather than information requiring verification. That reduced the motivation to ask basic questions such as where the image came from or whether a reputable photographer had published it. [Poynter]poynter.orgpope francis balenciaga puffer jacket artificial intelligence fact checkIt was actually created with the AI image…Read more…
The image was reportedly created by a Chicago-based Midjourney user known publicly as Pablo Xavier. What began as an experiment rapidly escaped its original context and circulated as if it were documentary photography. [GQ+2My Journal Courier]gq.comThe Pope Francis Puffer Photo Was Real in Our HeartsMany believed the image to be real due to the Pope's practical wardrobe choices. However, the image was created by Chicago-based Pablo Xa…
How humour lowers verification pressure
Many discussions of misinformation focus on deliberate attempts to deceive. The Pope puffer image illustrates a different dynamic: people often lower their guard when content is funny.
Humorous content benefits from a social norm that encourages rapid sharing. A person reposting a joke is rarely expected to perform rigorous fact-checking first. In practice, the audience often evaluates whether something is amusing before evaluating whether it is authentic.
This creates a subtle pathway for casual deception:
- A synthetic image appears amusing.
- Users share it because it is entertaining.
- The image gains visibility and credibility through repetition.
- Some viewers encounter it detached from its original context.
- Authenticity becomes harder to assess because popularity itself acts as a credibility signal.
The Pope image spread partly because it generated delight rather than outrage. Commentators, celebrities and ordinary users admitted that they initially assumed it was real. A widely discussed online poll cited by fact-checking journalists found that many respondents either believed the image or were unsure whether it was genuine. [Poynter]poynter.orgpope francis balenciaga puffer jacket artificial intelligence fact checkIt was actually created with the AI image…Read more…
This is an important lesson for critical thinking. People often associate deception with malicious intent, but a misleading image can shape beliefs even when the creator’s goal is humour. The consequences arise not only from intent but from how audiences process and distribute the content.
What casual fakes teach about visual trust
The Pope puffer episode exposed a weakness in a common online habit: judging authenticity primarily by appearance.
For years, internet users were advised to spot manipulated images by looking for obvious flaws—distorted hands, strange shadows or impossible backgrounds. The Pope image demonstrated that a synthetic picture could succeed even when viewers knew such advice. Many people simply never reached the stage of close inspection because the image already felt believable at a glance. [reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk]reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.ukwill ai generated images create new crisis fact checkers experts are not so sureWill AI-generated images create a new crisis for fact-…11 Apr 2023 — The rise of AI generated images is indeed a growing concern since…
The deeper lesson was not that AI had become perfect. Careful observers eventually identified visual inconsistencies, and fact-checkers debunked the image quickly. The important point was that most social-media consumption is not careful observation. It is fast, distracted and contextual. People scroll rather than investigate.
The image therefore highlighted a shift in the burden of proof:
- In the past, a realistic photograph often received the benefit of the doubt.
- Increasingly, realism alone is insufficient evidence.
- Source, provenance and independent confirmation matter more than visual quality.
Researchers, journalists and media-literacy experts have pointed to the Pope image as an early cultural milestone because it showed ordinary users encountering photorealistic AI outside specialist technology circles. It transformed a technical discussion about generative models into a practical demonstration visible to millions. [reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk+2Vox]reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.ukwill ai generated images create new crisis fact checkers experts are not so sureWill AI-generated images create a new crisis for fact-…11 Apr 2023 — The rise of AI generated images is indeed a growing concern since…
A small deception with a larger warning
The lasting significance of the Pope puffer image is not that many people briefly believed the Pope owned a fashionable coat. The factual error itself was trivial. What mattered was the demonstration effect.
The image proved that an invented scene could achieve the visual authority traditionally associated with photography. It also showed that the most influential synthetic images are not necessarily the most dangerous ones. Sometimes they are the ones that feel harmless enough to bypass scepticism.
In later discussions about AI-generated media, Pope Francis himself referenced the risks posed by deepfakes and synthetic imagery. By then, the puffer-jacket image had become a symbol of a broader cultural change: the moment when many people realised that seeing was no longer close to believing. [The Guardian+2AP News]theguardian.comThe Guardian The god illusion: why the pope is so popular as a deepfake imageAI-generated images, including a viral one of the pope in a Balenciaga jacket and others depicting him draped in a Pride flag and at the…
Within the wider story of synthetic images and the fading “looks-real” test, the Pope puffer case remains memorable because it revealed the problem in its gentlest form. A funny fake trained millions of people to confront a new reality: a convincing image can be entirely invented, and visual plausibility is no substitute for knowing where an image came from. [Reuters+2Poynter]reuters.comImage of Pope Francis wearing oversized white puffer coat…Mar 29, 2023 — An image showing Pope Francis wearing a white-colored…
Amazon book picks
Further Reading
Books and field guides related to Why the Pope puffer fooled so many people. Use these as the next step if you want deeper reading beyond the article.
Calling Bullshit
Teaches evidence evaluation and skepticism when appearances feel convincing.
Ways of Seeing
First published 1972. Subjects: Art, Art appreciation, Technique, Nonfiction, Visual perception.
On Photography
First published 1977. Subjects: Artistic Photography, Fotografía artística, Philosophy, Photography, Long Now Manual for Civilization.
eBay marketplace picks
Marketplace Samples
Example marketplace items related to this page. Use the search link to explore similar finds on eBay.
Endnotes
-
Source: reuters.com
Link: https://www.reuters.com/article/fact-check/image-of-pope-francis-wearing-oversized-white-puffer-coat-is-ai-generated-idUSL1N36120G/Source snippet
Image of Pope Francis wearing oversized white puffer coat...Mar 29, 2023 — An image showing Pope Francis wearing a white-colored...
-
Source: poynter.org
Title: pope francis balenciaga puffer jacket artificial intelligence fact check
Link: https://www.poynter.org/fact-checking/2023/pope-francis-balenciaga-puffer-jacket-artificial-intelligence-fact-check/Source snippet
It was actually created with the AI image...Read more...
-
Source: reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk
Title: will ai generated images create new crisis fact checkers experts are not so sure
Link: https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/news/will-ai-generated-images-create-new-crisis-fact-checkers-experts-are-not-so-sureSource snippet
Will AI-generated images create a new crisis for fact-...11 Apr 2023 — The rise of AI generated images is indeed a growing concern since...
-
Source: vox.com
Link: https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/23661673/pope-puffer-coat-generative-ai-midjourney-imagination -
Source: reuters.com
Link: https://www.reuters.com/world/pope/ -
Source: cbsnews.com
Title: pope francis puffer jacket fake photos deepfake power peril of ai
Link: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pope-francis-puffer-jacket-fake-photos-deepfake-power-peril-of-ai/Source snippet
Fake photos of Pope Francis in a puffer jacket go viral...28 Mar 2023 — Fake photos generated by artificial intelligence software appear...
-
Source: theguardian.com
Title: The Guardian I thought I was immune to being fooled online
Link: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/mar/27/pope-coat-ai-image-baby-boomersSource snippet
Then I saw...27 Mar 2023 — An AI-generated image of Pope Francis in a puffer jacket posted online. 'I thought wearing a really big coat...
-
Source: gq.com
Title: The Pope Francis Puffer Photo Was Real in Our Hearts
Link: https://www.gq.com/story/pope-puffer-jacket-midjourney-ai-memeSource snippet
Many believed the image to be real due to the Pope's practical wardrobe choices. However, the image was created by Chicago-based Pablo Xa...
-
Source: myjournalcourier.com
Title: My Journal Courier Pope’s puffy coat?
Link: https://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article/misinformation-17865103.phpSource snippet
Putin jailed? Fake images spreadApr 2, 2023 — A photo claiming to show Pope Francis in a white puffer jacket went viral, but is a fake. A...
-
Source: theguardian.com
Title: The Guardian The god illusion: why the pope is so popular as a deepfake image
Link: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/dec/21/the-god-illusion-why-the-pope-is-so-popular-as-a-deepfake-imageSource snippet
AI-generated images, including a viral one of the pope in a Balenciaga jacket and others depicting him draped in a Pride flag and at the...
-
Source: apnews.com
Link: https://apnews.com/article/9805fec11681adbf88d3a7c73bdf47deSource snippet
Su llamamiento, realizado en el mensaje anual para el Día Mundial de la Paz, es especialmente personal después de que una imagen falsa ge...
-
Source: theguardian.com
Title: The Guardian’It never happened
Link: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2025/apr/12/28-fake-images-that-fooled-the-worldSource snippet
From early examples such as Abraham Lincoln’s doctored portraits and spirit photography, to politically motivated fakes like doctored ima...
-
Source: Wikipedia
Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PopeSource snippet
PopeThe pope is considered one of the world's most powerful people due to the extensive diplomatic, cultural, and spiritual influence...
-
Source: britannica.com
Link: https://www.britannica.com/topic/popeSource snippet
rldly powers and the laity (on his left) and the clergy and other religious (on his right).Read more...
Additional References
-
Source: latestly.com
Link: https://www.latestly.com/socially/social-viral/fact-check/2-another-viral-ai-generated-image-showed-pope-francis-wearing-an-extravagant-white-latest-tweet-by-reuters-fact-check-5013584.htmlSource snippet
Another Viral AI Generated Image Showed Pope Francis...31 Mar 2023 — The latest Tweet by Reuters Fact Check states, '2. Another viral AI...
-
Source: smp.org
Link: https://www.smp.org/resourcecenter/resource/2845/?srsltid=AfmBOoqetzL_NoWJXhTOtavnAYEesWVxc4W7QGkhUhGAEVAkdMujwy3xSource snippet
Frequently Asked Questions About the PopeThe pope is the bishop of the Church of Rome, Italy. Because of the importance of Rome, Traditio...
-
Source: incidentdatabase.ai
Link: https://incidentdatabase.ai/cite/510/Source snippet
Incident 510: Viral Image of Pope Francis in a Puffer Jacket...A viral image of Pope Francis wearing a white puffer jacket was a deepfak...
-
Source: linkedin.com
Link: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/henryajder_ai-image-of-pope-in-a-puffer-jacket-fooled-activity-7046112703764951040-PzSySource snippet
Henry Ajder's PostImages of the Pope wearing a fashionable puffer jacket went viral over the weekend, with many social media users believ...
-
Source: reddit.com
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/midjourney/comments/120vhdc/the_pope_drip/Source snippet
The Pope Drip: r/midjourneyIt looks completely real other than context. Obviously the pope wouldn't wear this, but it's indistinguishabl...
-
Source: researchgate.net
Link: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Pablo-Xavier-2023-Pope-Francis-in-a-Puffer-Jacket-https-wwwfacebookcom_fig1_400155744Source snippet
Pope Francis in a Puffer Jacket...This essay explores how generative AI has destabilized the visual image, not only as an object of perc...
-
Source: arstechnica.com
Title: pope francis warns of perverse ai technology that faked him in a puffy coat
Link: https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2024/01/pope-francis-warns-of-perverse-ai-technology-that-faked-him-in-a-puffy-coat/Source snippet
AI-generated puffy pontiff image inspires new warning from...Jan 24, 2024 — In March 2023, a Twitter user named “skyferrori” used the Mi...
Published: March 2023
-
Source: youtube.com
Link: https://www.youtube.com/thepopevideoSource snippet
The Pope VideoThe Pope Video is a global initiative of the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network to disseminate the Holy Father's monthly praye...
-
Source: snopes.com
Link: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/not-real-photo-pope-in-puffy-coat/Source snippet
This Is Not a Real Photo of the Pope in a Puffy CoatOn March 25, 2023, a photo that appeared to show 86-year-old Pope Francis out and abo...
Published: March 25, 2023
-
Source: foxbusiness.com
Title: deepfake photos pope francis balenciaga tricks millions
Link: https://www.foxbusiness.com/media/deepfake-photos-pope-francis-balenciaga-tricks-millionsSource snippet
Deepfake photos of Pope Francis in Balenciaga trick millionsMar 28, 2023 — AI-generated photos of Pope Francis wearing a white puffer fro...
Topic Tree