This Powdered Beer Is Fake and Real At The Same Time (And It's Not the First)

German monks created the world's first powdered beer. This story is real. The team behind it offers some bold predictions about how their "dextrin-rich zero-alcohol beer" could change the market. Looking more closely at the image of this powdered beer, you may notice a small but important disclaimer. Since the monks at Klosterbrauerei Neuzelle offered no images of its powdered beer, the authors used AI to generate "some completely phony packaging ideas instead for your entertainment."

Many people will miss this disclaimer, and it definitely won't carry through when the story and images are shared on social media. In less than a 24 hour news cycle, this "phony" image will be the defining visual for this story and emerging product. Eventually, when those monks do create their own branding, it will be forced to compete with this one that was already generated online. The story illustrates some of the complications that are likely to arise from seemingly innocent uses of generative AI to create an image where none previously existed. How do you win your identity back from a generated image no one is profiting from or cares about?