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Cristina Chi - Philstar.com
July 17, 2025 | 6:59am
A staff member of the Holy Family Parish in Quezon City gather around a computer screen on Wednesday, April 23, 2025 as they watch the solemn transfer of Pope Francis' remains from the Santa Marta residence to Saint Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.
The STAR / Michael Varcas
MANILA, Philippines — A TikTok account has used AI deepfake technology to impersonate Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, falsely showing him announcing that he has officially joined the platform.
A July 13 video uploaded by a TikTok account with the username "luis.antonio.g..c2" and display name "Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle" features an AI-manipulated version of the cardinal claiming to personally manage the account.
Tagle — also a pro-prefect of the Vatican's Dicastery for Evangelization — was made to say:
"This is my one and only official TikTok account [as] Cardinal Chito. I personally manage it, though my time is limited due to my duties as a cardinal based in Vatican City. [...] Please do not be confused or afraid because I had clearly explaned everything in this video. Kindly block and report any other account impersonating me. "
The video also has the text overlay: "@luis.antonio.g..c2 my only TikTok account"
RATING: This is fake.
Facts
Tagle does not have an official TikTok account as of posting.
The cardinal maintains a verified Facebook page named Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle. The only other link displayed on Tagle's page is the website for Jesuit Communications, the media arm of the Philippine Province of the Society of Jesus, which produces his long-running show "The Word Exposed."
The deepfake video appears to have used footage of Tagle from "The Word Exposed" to create the AI-manipulated video.
The TikTok video also shows other signs typical of AI-generated deepfakes, including unnatural eye blinking and slight facial distortions.
It also appears to use AI-based "morphing" technology, which digitally alters the movement of the lips to match the fake audio. The digitally altered voice does not match Tagle’s real cadence and accent.
Why we fact-checked this
Tagle joins a growing number of Vatican officials targeted by AI deepfake technology.
Pope Leo XIV has also been impersonated in deepfake videos, prompting the Vatican to recently issue warnings about AI-generated clips falsely showing him delivering messages he never made, including a 36-minute video in which he appears to praise Burkina Faso’s military ruler, Ibrahim Traoré.
The late Pope Francis and Marc Cardinal Ouellet have also previously been impersonated in deepfake videos promoting a "prosperity prayer" scam.
While the TikTok video impersonating Tagle does not promote any product or external link, it urges viewers to block and report other supposed impostors.
The TikTok account has so far garnered 1,180 followers, and its AI deepfake video has reached over 600 videos. Its other videos are mostly of real clips from Tagle's "The Word Exposed."
