AI-Generated Etruscan Statue Fooled Social Media Users

An AI-generated image of a so-called Etruscan statue, created by artist Fabrizio Ajello using Midjourney v4, went viral on social media in November 2022, with many users mistaking it for an actual archaeological find from the Bagni di San Casciano excavation. Ajello posted the image on his personal Facebook and Instagram accounts on November 8, 2022, the same day news broke of the real discovery of 24 Etruscan-Roman bronze statues in San Casciano dei Bagni, Italy. The image, titled 'Giovinetto polidattilo' (Polydactyl Youth), shows a young figure with seven fingers on its left hand, a telltale sign of AI generation. Despite Ajello's ambiguous caption '#trovate' (found), he never claimed it was authentic. The image was widely shared by pages such as Labodif, ANTICAE VIAE, and others, often with direct references to the San Casciano excavation. Ajello's project explores the dynamics of interpolation, remediation, and diffusion on social media, highlighting how rapidly and pervasively misinformation can spread. The incident underscores the challenges of digital communication in an age of AI-generated content.