Thai Government Upset Over AI Images That Show Buddhist Monks Involved In Crazy Activities
These images could prove problematic for Thailand's Buddhist community.
By Dale John Wong — 08 Nov 2023, 05:14 PM
A series of images depicting Buddhist monks in unlikely scenarios has caused a stir among government officials in Thailand
These images, clearly generated by an artificial intelligence (AI) image platform, show groups of Buddhist monks draped in orange kasayas indulging in non-religious activities.
Some images depict monks headlining crowded hard-rock/metal concerts, while some show the monks taking part in dangerous Moto GP-like bike races, completely devoid of protective gear.
Considering the content of the images, religious groups in Thailand have expressed concerns that they may harm the reputation of Thai Buddhist monks
According to The Thaiger, Suphat Mueangma, the head of the Secretariat of the Buddhist Association and spokesperson for the National Office of Buddhism (NOB), many within Thailand's Buddhist community are been taken aback by the compromising quality of the pictures.
He said a letter has already been sent to the country's Cyber Police, seeking their assistance in removing the images from the Internet and investigating the source of the content.
Also, he added that as of late, the trend of using AI image generators in this way has been on the rise, and that the reputation of the overall monastic community has been compromised as a result.
Finally, Suphat also urged anyone who comes across such images to quickly report them to the relevant authorities.
