Facebook’s newsfeed has turned into a strange and unsettling place. Outlandish images, seemingly churned out by artificial intelligence, are attracting extraordinary attention.
From hyper-muscular cows to Jesus reimagined as a shrimp, these bizarre creations are spreading across the platform, followed by a chorus of “Amens” from unsuspecting users.
But behind the wave of digital absurdities lies a darker reality—a network of pages designed to lure users into ad-laden click farms.
The AI floodgates open
At the heart of this phenomenon are dozens of Facebook pages relentlessly churning out AI-generated imagery. These pages often showcase bizarre themes like Jesus-themed posts or flight attendants in unusual scenarios. The posts garner thousands of reactions, from bewildered comments to bot-like praise, as confused users grapple with whether or not the images are real.
According to a recent analysis by the Stanford Internet Observatory, these images have racked up hundreds of millions of engagements. Intricate AI-generated portraits of Jesus (sometimes built of plastic bottles, sometimes carved out of sand) are among the most viral images. More recently, the crustacean turn for the AI-Jesus is gaining ground, with shrimp, crabs, and similar creatures taking center stage. Flight attendants, largely depicted as East Asian women, are routinely portrayed in unlikely scenarios: praying with Jesus, holding crosses, or drenched in mud. Meanwhile, young Black children become viral sensations as they display supposedly handcrafted masterpieces like AI-generated tigers made of tires.
Who’s behind the AI deluge?
The motivation behind this AI image flood is unclear. The vast majority of these posts don’t disclose their AI-generated nature, despite Meta’s requirement to label such content. While the potential for scams is being discussed, this could simply be a case of users exploiting a loophole for viral content.
As generative AI technology becomes more accessible, the concern that these synthetic images could be used for misinformation and disinformation campaigns is growing.
Stolen Facebook pages and the viral web
The Stanford study reveals that many of these AI spam pages are repurposed from legitimate profiles.
Schools, churches, and even a high school band page have been hijacked and transformed into hubs for the odd AI imagery. Attempts by the original owners to reclaim their pages have reportedly been met with silence from Facebook.
The spectacle and the concern
While the spectacle sparks both amusement and bemusement, there’s a growing sense of unease. Users are theorizing that these pages could be used to identify potential targets for scams. The sheer volume of sensational AI content, coupled with gullible users, could create a network for malicious actors and fraudulent schemes.
The bizarre saga of AI-generated shrimps, Jesus art, and muddy flight attendants on Facebook throws a harsh spotlight on an emerging issue. As AI image generation becomes more sophisticated, the line between harmless oddity and dangerous manipulation blurs. This highlights the need for social media platforms like Facebook to take a more proactive stance in identifying and labeling AI-generated content.
Featured image credit: Love God &God Love You/Facebook.
