The Nigerian Presidency on Monday morning dismissed claims that a recent photograph of Presidents Bola Tinubu of Nigeria and Paul Kagame of Rwanda, taken during a meeting in Paris, was generated using artificial intelligence (AI). In a terse statement on Monday, Temitope Ajayi, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, described the narrative as incorrect and a misrepresentation of facts.
The controversy arose following a report by Vanguard newspaper and subsequent social media discussions, which suggested the image was AI-created. Ajayi clarified that the photo is authentic, capturing a genuine encounter between the two leaders on Sunday. According to the statement, Presidents Tinubu and Kagame met for lunch in Paris before attending a dinner hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron later that evening.
“The picture was taken with a phone and obviously had poor quality,” Ajayi explained, adding that the photographer subsequently used Grok, an AI tool developed by xAI, solely to enhance the image’s quality. He emphasized that this post-processing step does not equate to the entire photo being AI-generated, and criticized the report’s authors for not seeking clarification before publishing their conclusions.
The incident highlights ongoing concerns about the spread of misinformation regarding public figures and the role of AI in media. The Presidency urged journalists and social media users to verify facts to avoid unfounded speculation.
The full statement reads:
STOP PRESS
The narrative that the picture of Presidents Bola Tinubu and Paul Kagame taken in Paris yesterday was AI generated is not correct.
The Vanguard report and social media comments that followed are misrepresentation of facts.
The picture is real and not AI generated as claimed.
Both President Kagame and President Tinubu met in Paris had lunch together on Sunday (yesterday).
They both later had dinner with President Macron same yesterday evening. The picture was taken with a phone and obviously had poor quality.
The photographer only later used grok to improve the picture quality. That is not a reason to conclude it was AI generated.
The writer or editor should have asked questions before this wrong conclusion.
Temitope Ajayi Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity
