Jesus AI image using Shroud of Turin reignites old debate

AI-generated photo of Jesus Christ based on Shroud of Turin sparks debate over historical accuracy and racial bias.

AI has imagined what Jesus of Nazareth might have looked like based on the Shroud of Turin, a relic believed by many to be the burial cloth of Jesus. 

The AI-generated image portrays Christ as a white man with a trim beard and thorn marks on his face. 

‘Face of Jesus' unveiled by AI using Shroud of Turin after astonishing discovery. Amen! pic.twitter.com/K0e34f1Tyb

— Vladi 🇷🇺🇷🇺🇷🇺 (@joiedevivre789) August 21, 2024

The Shroud of Turin, housed in a chapel in Turin, Italy, has long been revered by many Christians as one of the most holy relics. It bears a faint image of a bearded man, which believers associate with Jesus. 

This depiction has sparked considerable interest and debate, especially in light of recent claims by Italian scientists that the Shroud dates back around 2,000 years, corresponding to the time of Jesus' lifetime.

The evidence for Jesus keeps piling up. The Shroud of Turin has been confirmed line up with the dates perfect of Jesus’s death. AI was used to look at the cloth and extracted an image of a face from the cloth. Christ is King! pic.twitter.com/ueKFDKWh7D

— DevoutNation (@DevoutNation) August 21, 2024

In the 1980s, radiocarbon dating studies suggested that the Shroud was a mediaeval creation, dating it to the mid-1300s. However, recent studies using x-ray dating techniques now suggest the Shroud's fabric indeed originates from the era of Jesus, challenging the earlier findings.

Despite the renewed interest, the AI-generated image has also been met with scepticism. 

Although I believe Jesus Christ is real, I don’t think this is an accurate image considering the fact that AI uses a lot of existing data from the internet to generate an image.

It’s like building a house out of old bricks.

— Erick Olazaba (@BasedSatori) August 21, 2024

Critics argue that AI often reflects the biases of its creators, which could explain the portrayal of Jesus as Caucasian. 

Of course, AI would always come up with a white Caucasian! After all, AI reflects the biases of its makers🙄

— Chofamba (@Chofamba) August 21, 2024

Some have pointed out that this depiction may not be accurate, given the AI's reliance on existing data to generate the image.