SUMMARY

During the 2026 solar eclipse, some smartphone users captured photos that appeared to show the moon passing in front of another moon. This phenomenon was caused by AI-enhanced "supermoon" modes in cameras, such as on the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, which misidentified the filtered sun as the moon and generated an artificial lunar surface. The issue was resolved by disabling the "supermoon" mode. This glitch highlights concerns about generative AI's role in cameras, contrasting it with standard AI features like autofocus.

TAKEAWAYS

Smartphone AI "supermoon" modes created "double moon" photos during the solar eclipse.

The AI misidentified the filtered sun as the moon, generating an artificial lunar surface.

Disabling the "supermoon" mode corrected the issue.

The incident raises questions about the use of generative AI in camera hardware.

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