On Saturday, Nov. 15, an AI-generated image of a "goth chick golfer" went viral on X. The image depicted a heavily tattooed female golfer, who was reportedly part of Brigham Young University's women's golf team.
Some fans were tricked by the image, believing that the golfer would be competing for BYU this year, while others quickly spotted that the image was fake. AI images are notorious for messing up when creating human hands, which makes them a dead giveaway when fake images surface.
Nevertheless, the image certainly created a significant amount of discussion.
The Image Goes Against BYU's Honor Code
The most prominent discussion was surrounding BYU's honor code. BYU has an affiliation with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Therefore, all students and faculty are expected to adhere to the college's honor code at all times. As such, a heavily tattooed athlete is an unlikely occurrence at BYU.
With that in mind, the image should have been seen as a giveaway to its lack of authenticity. Furthermore, it could have been perceived as an insult to the college's strict stance on body art and piercings, which may have contributed to the image becoming so divisive online.
The fact that the mock-up tricked so many people is a testament to how quickly AI is evolving, and how difficult AI-generated content is becoming to spot. If the image wasn't linked to BYU, it likely would have tricked plenty more social media users over the coming days.
BYU Has Added a New Female Golfing Talent This Month
While the image online was clearly a phony, it is true that BYU has added a new talent to its women's golfing roster this month. Washington native Tatum Otto reportedly committed to the college earlier this month.
Otto joins BYU, having been ranked as the No. 4 golfer in her Washington golfer class. Head coach Carrie Roberts recently released a statement welcoming Otto to BYU.
"We are super excited about Tatum joining our team," Roberts said. "She's a great fit for who we are not just because of her talent, but because of her character. She's competitive, driven and cares deeply about her teammates. I know she'll help elevate our team both on and off the course. On the course, she's shown she can win and go low, and we're confident she'll make an immediate impact at the collegiate level."
Otto will be a strong addition to BYU's women's golf roster. However, she too will be expected to adhere to the honor code. Therefore, she isn't heavily tattooed, despite what the internet will try to cook up.
