US State Department mislabels Nigeria, other African countries at global AIDS conference

An AI-generated map displayed by the U.S. State Department at the 26th International AIDS Conference in Brazil contained significant geographical errors, misplacing several African nations, including Nigeria.

The map, presented during a session on global health agreements, depicted Nigeria as a landlocked country in the Sahara Desert, far from its actual location in West Africa. Mozambique was similarly misplaced, moved from southeastern Africa to the Horn of Africa, and Côte d'Ivoire was shown on the opposite side of the continent.

These inaccuracies quickly gained attention after conference attendees shared images of the slide online. Analysis of the presentation video revealed a watermark indicating the map was generated using OpenAI tools, prompting OpenAI to state it was investigating the report.

The State Department acknowledged the mistake, issuing a statement accepting full responsibility for the confusion. A department spokesperson explained that a staff member had hastily altered the presentation shortly before the session. The presentation was delivered by Jeff Graham, a senior U.S. health official overseeing the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

Health and policy experts have questioned the quality control process that allowed such glaring errors to appear in an official presentation. Matt Petit, an AI and geopolitics specialist at the Atlantic Council, suggested the slide reflected a lack of basic geographical knowledge and inadequate vetting before its use. The incident occurred amid a review of U.S. overseas health assistance, with the administration having previously paused foreign aid pending review and reducing spending on areas like disease prevention, though PEPFAR's supply of HIV medicines has largely continued.

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We take full responsibility for the confusion and misrepresentation it caused for attendees, including our African partners