Vatican warns of AI deepfake videos misattributing pope's words
The Vatican issues a warning regarding fake videos of Pope Leo XIV that are circulating online. These videos, created using artificial intelligence, attribute statements to the Pope that he has never made. This information was reported by Vatican News.
The video in question falsely attributes remarks by Pope Leo XIV to the President of Burkina Faso, Ibrahim Traoré, and is not genuine. The video lasts 36 minutes, was uploaded to YouTube, and has surpassed a million views. The Pope never made such statements, and the content is a result of manipulation through morphing technology.
Fake videos online featuring Pope Leo XIV
Vatican News clarifies that artificial intelligence was employed to create the video, which allegedly synchronises the Pope's lip movements with fabricated words. The recording creates the false impression that the Pope publicly responded to Traoré's letter. Although YouTube has marked the video as fictional, it remains accessible.
Experts caution that these types of materials can mislead the public, particularly if shared without suitable context. This is another instance of deepfake technology being used to manipulate messages and construct false narratives involving public figures.
Artificial intelligence and disinformation
The Vatican highlights that this is not the sole occurrence of fake videos involving Pope Leo XIV. There exists a YouTube channel featuring purported sermons by the Pope, which are entirely AI-generated. The channel currently boasts approximately 18,300 subscribers and nearly 770,000 views.
The Vatican media reminds people that all official speeches and texts by Pope Leo XIV can be found on the website vatican.va and the Vatican News portal. These are the only trustworthy sources for information regarding the Pope.
