AI war heightens after Trump's 'Jesus-like' post

An artificial intelligence (AI) battle of biblical proportions is unfolding across cyberspace amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia.

It began when United States President Donald Trump posted an AI-generated image of himself in a white robe and red shawl, appearing to heal a man while surrounded by four admiring figures, including a nurse and a soldier.

In the background, an eagle flies in front of the US flag on the left, while soldiers appear to be ascending toward a heaven-like light at the centre. On the right, another eagle soars alongside military jets.

The imagery drew immediate comparisons to Jesus. However, Trump insisted it was intended to depict him as a doctor.

“It’s supposed to be me as a doctor making people better, and I do make people better,” he told reporters at the White House after the post was deleted following backlash, including from those seen as close to his administration.

In response, Newsweek reported that the Iranian Embassy in Tajikistan shared an AI-generated post portraying a “Jesus-like figure” in a similar setting to Trump’s earlier post, but with a twist.

The post showed the figure punching a bloodied Trump, with the US president falling into a pit of fire.

According to Newsweek, the video went viral on X, drawing more than seven million views by Wednesday morning.

Trump’s post came in the wake of his spat with Pope Leo XIV, who criticised the US president’s remarks that “a whole civilisation will die tonight” if Iran failed to meet a US deadline tied to the ongoing Middle East war.

Trump responded by calling the pontiff weak, saying Leo was not “doing a very good job” and accusing him of “catering to the radical left.”

Later, the US president doubled down on his criticism of the Pope in a post on Truth Social, stating that “someone please tell Pope Leo” about the killings of protesters in Iran and reiterating that “for Iran to have a nuclear bomb is absolutely unacceptable”.

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