The US State Department acknowledged 'an unfortunate error' after a slide at an AIDS conference in Rio mislabelled six African countries and showed several with distorted shapes. Reuters found an AI watermark on the image, and OpenAI said it was investigating. The slide, shared by Emily Bass on Substack, prompted criticism while officials reiterated ongoing US commitment to HIV programmes amid broader foreign aid changes.
US Admits 'Unfortunate Error' After AI-Linked Map Mislabels Six African Countries At AIDS Conference
The erroneous map was part of a presentation at an HIV/Aids conference in Rio de Janeiro [Reuters]
A slide shown by a senior US official at the 26th International AIDS Conference in Rio de Janeiro mistakenly mislabelled six African countries and displayed several with distorted, unrecognisable shapes. The flawed map appeared during a State Department presentation about US funding for HIV programmes and was later shared online, triggering criticism and scrutiny.
What Happened
The slide suggested, for example, that Nigeria was landlocked and placed Ivory Coast in southern Africa rather than West Africa. Reuters analysed the image and found an artificial intelligence watermark, indicating the map was produced using AI tools. Four of the six highlighted countries — Nigeria, Mozambique, Ivory Coast and Malawi — were placed incorrectly, Uganda was roughly positioned but misshapen, and Cameroon appeared in the legend without a corresponding labelled territory on the map.
[BBC]
Responses And Reactions
The State Department called the incident 'an unfortunate error' and said it occurred when a team member 'hurriedly altered' the slide deck before the event. A spokesperson said the department accepted 'full responsibility for the confusion and misrepresentation it caused for attendees, including our African partners'.
The slide was first publicised after HIV/AIDS expert Emily Bass posted a photograph to her Substack newsletter, prompting widespread online criticism. OpenAI told Reuters it was investigating the report that an AI tool had been used to create the image.
[BBC]
'What an embarrassment. This is what happens when [the State Department] fires career experts and tries to have AI conduct diplomacy,' wrote Senator Jeanne Shaheen on X.
Former State Department official Cameron Hudson called the mistake 'stupid and embarrassing', attributing it to work done by 'too junior staff performing work under-supervised'.
Context
The presentation was delivered by a senior official overseeing the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the US flagship global HIV programme. The incident comes amid broader changes to US foreign aid and global health assistance following cuts enacted after President Donald Trump's return to the White House. While PEPFAR's core HIV treatment programmes have largely resumed, Washington has signalled cuts to prevention, surveillance and plans to phase out aspects of the programme in some countries, including South Africa.
The State Department said discussions at the conference remained 'substantive and constructive' and reaffirmed Washington's commitment to combating HIV/AIDS in Africa and elsewhere despite the controversy.
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