Microsoft and Vatican create 3D digital twin of St. Peter’s Basilica with help from AI

The project allows virtual visitors to explore the landmark and aids conservation efforts by identifying structural issues ahead of the 2025 Jubilee.

Transcript

00:30I encourage the commitment of the factory and its collaborators in the adoption of technologies

00:37that favor not only a tentative participation of people,

00:44but above all their awareness of the New Sacrament, which is a space of meditation.

00:53It is literally one of the most technologically advanced and sophisticated projects of its kind that has ever been pursued.

01:07How do you knit together 400,000 photographs?

01:12It's like a giant quilt with each photograph being a little different piece of fabric.

01:18You use AI.

01:20And by using very sophisticated AI, in some cases technology that was not even available two and a half years ago,

01:30when we first started talking about this project,

01:33we made it possible together to do what you see, to explore St. Peter's Basilica.

01:50St. Peter's Basilica