The alarm has been sounded in the Belarusian Orthodox Church: cybercriminals are increasingly using neural networks to discredit clergy and create fake content that can sow confusion among believers.
The Synodal Information Department of the Belarusian Exarchate issued a corresponding appeal the day before, warning the flock against a new spiritual threat.
As noted in a statement published on the official BOC portal, the development of artificial intelligence has led to a dangerous trend: false accounts masquerading as official pages of churches, monasteries and dioceses are multiplying on social networks. However, if earlier fakes were limited to text provocations, today deepfake technologies are being used.
We are talking about creating distorted videos edited from real filming of worship services, as well as fully generated videos. According to church observers, the purpose of such stuffing is to purposefully discredit both ordinary parishioners and clergy. 
The authors of such content do not shy away from outright blasphemy by posting videos that, according to the BOC, "cause spiritual harm" and mislead viewers.
Representatives of the Exarchate are particularly concerned about the so—called virtual preachers - generated images of "clergymen" into whose mouths algorithms put words far from Christian piety.
The treatment of virtual generated "clergymen", in whose mouths a word far from true Christian piety can be put, also requires careful attention, the appeal emphasizes.
At a time when it is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish reality from digital forgery, the Belarusian Orthodox Church has developed a kind of instruction on information hygiene.
Believers are advised to pay attention to a number of technical signs: the improbability of what is happening on the screen, the unnatural movements of the video characters, the presence of optical distortions and the inconsistency of the musical accompaniment with the meaning of what is happening.
Addressing the clergy, monastics and laity, the BOC urged them to exercise maximum responsibility when choosing spiritual food. This warning sounds especially acute during the ongoing period of Great Lent, a time traditionally devoted to purification and abstinence.
Observe the norms of information hygiene and do not encourage the authors of unworthy content with their attention," the Synodal Information Department concluded.