Who was behind the 'Sky Stadium' video that went viral on social media?

A viral AI-generated video showing a glowing football stadium atop a skyscraper, mistakenly believed to be part of Saudi Arabia's 2034 FIFA World Cup plans, garnered millions of views on social media this week, despite having no connection to the kingdom's official stadium designs.The video was shared by thousands of social media accounts, with many users believing it represented Saudi Arabia's official visual presentation.While Saudi Arabia has announced plans to construct a football facility on top of a real estate complex in The Line, a new megacity project, the official plans are entirely different from the viral video."This design is completely fake and bears no resemblance to anything Saudi Arabia is planning.

It appears in no official sources," a source close to the matter told AFP.Several French media outlets initially reported the video as Saudi Arabia's official project but have since removed or modified their articles.News agency AFP's digital investigation team identified the video's origin as the Instagram account "hyporaultraworks," which specialises in AI-generated futuristic stadium content.WATCH: AI-generated design of the Sky StadiumThe account holder confirmed they created the viral clip and addressed its unexpected spread on Facebook: "What started as a simple AI concept has taken on a life of its own -- over 50 million views later, our 'Sky Stadium' design has gone global (and slightly off the rails)."

"I had no idea about any Saudi project when I made this," they added, explaining it was "purely an imaginative AI concept, exploring what a vertical, skyscraper-style football stadium could look like."Saudi Arabia is investing heavily in infrastructure as the desert nation prepares to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup, the world's largest football event.