Madeleine McCann at 21! AI tool delivers shocking pictures of missing child

Madeleine McCann, who went missing from Portugal when she was three, has garnered attention from across the globe

UPDATED MAR 6, 2023

LONDON, ENGLAND: A Spanish publication reportedly used an AI-based tool to create what could have been Madeline McCann's appearance at 21. McCann went missing when she was three while in Portugal in 2007 and has not been found since. Her case has gained attention ever since a Polish woman, Julia Wandelt, claimed that she was the missing girl and sought a DNA test to confirm what she said.

The publication created the images using pictures of McCann. According to the La Vanguardia, journalists used the "IA Stable Diffusion" robot, a potent image generation engine powered by machine learning "to be more precise every day in the display of results."

Hoax or not: Julia Faustyna's 'evidence' for claiming she could be Madeleine McCann is questionable

Wandelt, 21, claimed she provided "evidence" through her Instagram account, @iammadeleinemccan. This included her similarity to the child's parents among others. She claimed she did not have any childhood pictures or medical documents, adding that just like McCann, she had a scar on her eye, a feature used by many during her search.

Initial biometric analyses did not reveal any parallels

Authorities and case specialists, however, have questioned the validity of her assertions. The initial biometric analyses of Wandelt and McCann did not reveal any parallels, per Marca. "I have done a biometric search and there is no resemblance to Madeleine's features," Francisco Marco, a private investigator probing Wandelt's claims, reportedly said. "I can think it's a fraud, but I can't say without evidence," Marco added,

Madeleine McCann's parents are okay with DNA test

McCann's parents, Kate and Garry, reportedly consented to a DNA test to dispel any doubts. Earlier, authorities believed the couple killed the child and disposed off the body. They later concluded that she may have been abducted by German sex offender Christian Brückner, who, according to the Daily Beast, was working as a mechanic in Praia de Luz when she went missing. He was given a seven-year sentence for raping a 72-year-old woman at a resort in September 2005.