European leaders laugh at AI images of themselves as babies

This playful introduction added a touch of humour to the formal proceedings of the summit

Last updated: May 19, 2025 | 10:47

Devadasan K P, Chief Visual Editor and AFP

1 MIN READ

More than 40 leaders gathered at the opening ceremony of the European Political Community in Tirana, Albania, were greeted by a short film that showed each of them as a baby saying “Welcome to Albania” in their native language.

AFP

At the European Political Community (EPC) summit in Tirana, Albania, a lighthearted moment occurred when a video featuring AI-generated images of European leaders as babies was unexpectedly played. The footage showcased leaders such as Ursula von der Leyen, Emmanuel Macron, and Viktor Orbán as infants, each holding a sign that read "Welcome to Albania!" in their native languages. This playful introduction added a touch of humour to the formal proceedings of the summit.

The summit, themed "A New Europe in a New World: Unity—Cooperation—Joint Action," brought together 47 heads of state and government to discuss critical issues, including security, economic resilience, and youth empowerment. Hosted in a temporary venue near Skanderbeg Square, it symbolized Albania's growing role in European affairs.

Prime Minister Edi Rama of Albania described the summit as a historic opportunity to showcase Albania's progress and aspirations on the European stage.

Devadasan K PChief Visual Editor

Devadasan K P is the Chief Visual Editor at Gulf News, bringing more than 26 years of experience in photojournalism to the role. He leads the Visual desk with precision, speed, and a strong editorial instinct. Whether he’s selecting images of royalty, chasing the biggest celebrity moments in Dubai, or covering live events himself, Devadasan is always a few steps ahead of the action. Over the years, he has covered a wide range of major assignments — including the 2004 tsunami in Sri Lanka, the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, feature reportage from Afghanistan, the IMF World Bank meetings, and wildlife series from Kenya. His work has been widely recognised with industry accolades, including the Minolta Photojournalist of the Year award in 2005, the Best Picture Award at the Dubai Shopping Festival in 2008, and a Silver Award from the Society for News Design in 2011. He handles the newsroom pressure with a calm attitude, a quick response time, and his signature brand of good-natured Malayali humour. There's no fuss — just someone who gets the job done very well, every single time.

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