Using AI to reimagine traditional LDS art in more historically accurate ways

 My daughter hit her head on the wall during Sacrament Meeting as 5-month-olds do. I took her out to the foyer and wandered the area while comforting her.

I looked at all of the now-somewhat-ancient art on the wall and laughed a little at how Northern European all of the people are in them. This has always been something that bothers me. I couldn't believe that up until this year's Easter message, the official Bible stories Jesus in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints videos was not only white, but had a British accent.

Why is this?

Because most Christian art was made by artists painting for their own audience, not trying to produce a historical reconstruction.

In other words, Christian art often shows “us” more than “them.” It tells you a lot about the culture that made the image.

But in a day with technology that makes the world a lot smaller, I think we are ready to view the world as one family, with lots of different colors, languages, eyes, noses, and cultures.

Then I remembered that I have generative AI in my pocket.

Here are a bunch of the images from my foyer that were reimagined as a bit more historically accurate by AI.

I'm reminded from a conversation I had with my maternal grandfather ten to fifteen years ago. Richard Neave had used forensic data to estimate what someone living in 30 AD looked like using a plaster cast of a skull from that time period.

I brought this up to my grandfather and showed him the image, and he said, "There's no way I'm bowing down to that guy." I would imagine it's because he wants Christ to be physically as amazing as He is spiritually. A man whose stature matches His amazing message.

But that's who Christ was, right?