Mark Zuckerberg's altered pic with a beard gets a reaction from wife Priscilla Chan

Mark Zuckerberg's digitally altered AI image with a beard. (Image: @flyosity/X)

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg found himself at the centre of a social media storm this week, not for his company's latest technological breakthroughs, but for a digitally enhanced image giving him a beard and moustache. And now, his wife Priscilla Chan has also joined in the social media buzz.

Sharing the edited photo on her Instagram Stories, Chan teased about her husband's newfound rugged (AI) charm.

The altered image, crafted by Mike Rundle, quickly stole the spotlight, overshadowing Zuckerberg's announcement of an AI update from Meta.

Zuckerberg's original intent was to share insights into Meta's advancements in AI technology via a video posted on Instagram on April 18. However, the internet had different plans. Rundle, better known as @flyosity on the social platform X, seized a frame from Zuckerberg's video, deftly adding facial hair. The result? A meticulously doctored image of Zuckerberg sporting a beard and a subtle smirk.

Me: Bearded Zuck you have to stop. Your smoked meat's too tough. Your swag too different. Your open source LLM is too bad. they'll kill you

Bearded Zuck: pic.twitter.com/pdKwMUmpKS

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— Mike Rundle (@flyosity) April 18, 2024

One particularly striking comparison showcased Zuckerberg's original clean-shaven visage alongside the bearded version, highlighting the transformative power of facial hair.

The social media sphere erupted with chatter, with users marveling at the convincingly altered appearance. The image even found its way onto Instagram's popular gossip hub, The Shade Room, prompting a bemused response from Zuckerberg himself: "Okay who did this?”

In a final nod to the viral moment, Zuckerberg himself took to Instagram Stories, brandishing a razor and a pensive emoji, acknowledging the public's fascination with his digitally enhanced persona.