Xiaomi 17 Ultra mistakenly rendered the August 12 solar eclipse as a lunar portrait, highlighting AI-driven photo enhancements. During testing with four smartphones, the Xiaomi device incorrectly applied craters and reliefs typical of the Moon to the Sun’s surface, creating a surreal red-orange image. This error stemmed from AI algorithms trained on lunar data, which over-corrected the bright celestial body.

Similar issues surfaced with Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra’s Space Zoom, though Xiaomi’s failure was more pronounced. Social media users echoed the flaw, sharing photos labeled “solar eclipse turned moon” and criticizing the “superluna” mode. While Xiaomi isn’t alone—Huawei and Oppo also employ such tricks—the blunder underscores the limitations of AI in astrophotography, prioritizing aesthetics over accuracy.