Vatican Unveils AI-Enhanced St. Peter's Basilica

Microsoft has partnered with the Catholic Church to digitally recreate St. Peter's Basilica, a monumental project announced by the Vatican.

This AI-powered replica aims to improve visitor management, offer immersive virtual tours, and aid in identifying conservation needs—timely enhancements as the Church prepares for its Holy Year Jubilee in 2025, an event held once every 25 years.

St. Peter's Archpriest, Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, likened the new technology to a "telescope or spaceship" that allows a closer, more dynamic experience of the basilica's historic splendor:

"St. Peter's is like a starry sky on a summer night: you remain enchanted by its splendor."

AI-Generated St. Peter's Basilica Offers Real & Virtual Experiences

In partnership with Microsoft and heritage digitalisation firm Iconem, the Vatican has launched Project La Basilica di San Pietro, which features a comprehensive digital replica of St. Peter's Basilica, an interactive website, and two AI-enhanced exhibits.

Using drones, lasers, and high-resolution cameras, Microsoft captured over 400,000 images of the basilica in a four-week period, amassing data equivalent to a 6-km-high stack of DVDs.

Brad Smith, Microsoft president, explained:

“It is literally one of the most technologically advanced and sophisticated projects of its kind that has ever been engaged in.”

This digital twin will play a key role in both preservation and restoration efforts, enabling structural assessments that go beyond what the human eye can detect.

He noted:

"We are taking St. Peter's not just to the world but to a new generation of people, in a language that is more accessible for the times we live in."

The AI model not only recreates the basilica's detailed interior and exterior—including mosaics, frescoes, and sculptures—but has also revealed previously hidden or missing mosaic tiles and intricate ceiling designs.

The online and on-site exhibits aim to provide visitors with an immersive, interactive experience, bridging the real and virtual worlds.

Smith added:

“As technology like AI drives us into the future, it can also play an important role in preserving our past.”

Religion Joins in on the AI Boom

This project highlights the Catholic Church’s increasing openness to AI, with Pope Francis himself showing active interest.

Speaking at the Vatican event where the project was introduced, the Pope emphasized the need for ethical AI use, calling for responsible deployment aligned with human values—a message he reiterated in his World Day of Peace address earlier this year, advocating for international AI regulation.

Pope Francis stated:

“The correct and constructive use of (AI's) potential, which is certainly useful but can be ambivalent, depends on us.”

The use of digital twin technology in preserving historic landmarks has proven valuable; for instance, a 3D model of Paris's Notre-Dame Cathedral guided restoration after its 2019 fire.

Dr Noha Saleeb, associate professor in creative technologies at Middlesex University, said:

“AI algorithms, applied to continuous sensor data collected from Digital Twin technologies, can identify damage in structures and materials that is not visible to the naked eye.”

Professor Mohamed Gamal Abdelmonem, chair of architecture at the University of York, notes that digital twins help maintain the integrity and appeal of culturally significant sites by pinpointing areas prone to deterioration.

Professor Abdelmonem expressed:

“The digital twin technology has become critical to the preservation of many heritage sites as the evolution and affordability of laser and imaging technology can penetrate soils and produce highly accurate copies of existing sites.”

Vatican coordinator, Father Francesco Occhetta, noted:

“For St Peter's Basilica, the alliance between human intelligence and AI is a bridge towards the future, a historical turning point that has no borders. It is possible to view it in every corner of the earth.”

Pope Francis addressed the audience at the Vatican, expressing that "everyone, truly everyone, should feel welcome in this great house."

He also emphasized the importance of ethical AI use, a message he has championed before.

In his recent World Day of Peace message, the Pope advocated for an international treaty to regulate AI, underscoring that without human values like mercy, morality, and forgiveness, the risks of AI could be too great.

His appeal highlights a call for technology that serves humanity responsibly, grounded in ethical principles.