AI Reconstructs Face of Jesus Using Shroud of Turin

Artificial intelligence continues to surprise us with its capabilities—this time, by generating an image of what Jesus Christ may have really looked like.

From Impressive Feats to Ongoing Controversy

AI has tackled many projects, but not all are well-received.
For instance, when asked to generate the ‘perfect’ man and woman, results sparked backlash.
In another experiment, AI created the “average” face for each U.S. state. The outcomes? Strangely unsettling.

A New Task: Recreating Jesus

Recently, AI faced a new challenge—depicting Jesus based on historical debate around his appearance.
To do this, it used the Shroud of Turin, believed by many to be Christ’s burial cloth.

 (Daily Express/ Midjourney)

What’s the Shroud of Turin?

The Shroud of Turin is a linen cloth some believe wrapped Jesus after his death on April 3, AD 33.
It’s been housed in the royal chapel of the Cathedral of San Giovanni Battista in Turin, Italy, since 1578.
Many claim the cloth shows a faint image of a man’s front and back—possibly Jesus—along with a facial imprint that has now been digitally enhanced.

How Did AI Generate the Image?

The Daily Express used an AI tool called Midjourney to interpret the Shroud’s facial imprint.
The result: a man with shoulder-length hair, a beard, and a mustache—strikingly similar to traditional depictions of Jesus.
Notably, the image also includes cuts on his face and body, possibly symbolizing the crucifixion wounds.

What Do Experts Say?

Historians and religious scholars aren’t all convinced by AI-generated portrayals.
Some argue that these images don’t reflect historical accuracy—especially regarding skin tone.