The Vatican's newly unveiled anime-style mascot has quickly become a controversial subject after being flooded with pornographic AI-generated images.
The mascot, Luce, was introduced as a cultural ambassador for the Catholic Church's upcoming jubilee year and the Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan. It was designed by popular Italian artist Simone Legno in efforts to reach a younger audience through Japanese anime, 404 Media reported.
Despite intentions of creating a wholesome pop culture figure, Luce has faced backlash as AI users on platforms like Civitai have turned the character into an explicit version of itself.
On Civitai specifically, many have created their own versions of Luce. On the platform, users are able to make model pages and share various images of the character while others comment.
On one model page, a user wrote, "If you came here for what everyone else came here for, then you won't be disappointed."
Meanwhile, another user said, "Lord forgive me for what I am about to do."
The AI-generated images range from pornographic depictions to nudity, many of which feature disturbing themes.
The Vatican has not yet issued a public statement about the scandal.
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