A Fake Fayum Portrait That Exposed an AI's Secret
In a stunning discovery, an Instagram account purporting to be an expert on archaeology posted a picture claiming it was a 2,000-year-old Fayum portrait. However, after using reverse image search technology, experts found that the image was actually generated by an AI image generator called Midjourney.
According to art historians Céline Trouchaud and Lucile Brunel-Duverger, real Fayum portraits were painted with encaustic techniques using wax, which created a unique texture and modulation in colors. However, the AI-generated portrait lacks these characteristics, with smooth skin tones and no visible brush marks.
Trouchaud pointed out that Fayum portraits typically depict individuals from Greek and Roman society within ancient Egypt. The young man in the fake image does indeed resemble an individual from this time period but still appears overly realistic for paintings of the era.
Brunel-Duverger added that the AI's attempt to replicate encaustic techniques resulted in a lack of nuance and real texture, which is absent in the generated portrait.
The incident highlights the rapid advancements in AI technology but also underscores the importance of expertise in materials and authenticity verification.
In a stunning discovery, an Instagram account purporting to be an expert on archaeology posted a picture claiming it was a 2,000-year-old Fayum portrait. However, after using reverse image search technology, experts found that the image was actually generated by an AI image generator called Midjourney.
According to art historians Céline Trouchaud and Lucile Brunel-Duverger, real Fayum portraits were painted with encaustic techniques using wax, which created a unique texture and modulation in colors. However, the AI-generated portrait lacks these characteristics, with smooth skin tones and no visible brush marks.
Trouchaud pointed out that Fayum portraits typically depict individuals from Greek and Roman society within ancient Egypt. The young man in the fake image does indeed resemble an individual from this time period but still appears overly realistic for paintings of the era.
Brunel-Duverger added that the AI's attempt to replicate encaustic techniques resulted in a lack of nuance and real texture, which is absent in the generated portrait.
The incident highlights the rapid advancements in AI technology but also underscores the importance of expertise in materials and authenticity verification.
I'm both impressed and concerned about this whole thing... on one hand, AI's coming a long way fast and can create some crazy-real images - I mean, who'd've thought an AI could fake a 2k-old Fayum portrait? 
But on the other hand, it's like, we're playing with fire here. Experts say we need to verify authenticity and stuff, but AI's making it super hard for that... 
Like, what's next? Someone fakes a Picasso with another AI tool? 
The tech's advanced, no doubt, but let's not forget where we got it from - humans messing around with algorithms... 
. What's next, a photogenic AI-generated Mona Lisa? 
. The lack of nuance and texture in that fake Fayum portrait is just basic, I mean, come on 
.
. I mean, I know art historians are supposed to be good at that sorta thing, but still... this just goes to show how much we need to be careful when sharing info online. And let's not forget how AI can make even the most expert-looking images look kinda...off 
. We gotta keep up with the times (or get left behind 
), but at the same time, we need people who actually know what they're talking about to verify the authenticity of art pieces...it's a tricky balance, for sure 
I can feel how frustrating this must be for art historians who spend their lives studying ancient artifacts... those fake Fayum portraits just show up out of nowhere, trying to pass themselves off as real masterpieces 
. And it's not like the AI was even trying to mimic the style perfectly - just a lazy attempt at replication 
.
. At the same time, I feel for the art historians who had to fact-check this thing - all that knowledge and expertise go into verifying authenticity, only to find out it's just a fake 
. It's like they say: fake it till you make it... not! 
like, don't get me wrong, AI is a game changer and all but at what point do we start to lose sight of what's real? 
I mean, where's the money in that? 
Still, it's kinda cool to see people like these experts jumping into the fray and trying to set things straight.
.
and make sure u know what ur doing. anyway, kudos to those art historians for keeping it real 
. Anyway, kudos to them for using reverse image search tech, that's some next-level detective work 
.
. experts need to keep an eye out for these AI-generated fakes before they spread like wildfire online 
. tech giants gotta do better at verifying authenticity, can't have our history & culture distorted by machines 
.
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! I mean, who creates a 2k-year-old fake masterpiece 
. I'm not mad though 
, I just think it's crazy how quickly those AIs are getting better 
. 
The AI just can't replicate the real deal 
.
that we've got experts out there who can spot a fake from a mile away 
. It just goes to show how important it is to have proper expertise and know-how when it comes to verifying authenticity - especially with AI tools becoming more advanced