The US State Department showed an erroneous AI-generated map of Africa at the conference. This is reported by DW❶❷ with reference to the German TV channel NTV.
The incident occurred last week during a report at the International Conference on HIV and AIDS (AIDS 2026) in Rio de Janeiro.
On the map, six African states found themselves on the territories of other countries in completely different parts of the continent. In particular, Nigeria, where the United States has deployed a contingent of several hundred troops, found itself in the Sahara and lost access to the sea.
"According to a Reuters analysis, the map contained a watermark indicating that it was created using OpenAI tools. The US State Department took full responsibility and stated that shortly before the event, one of the employees made changes to the document in a hurry. The presentation was conducted by Jeff Graham, the chief US Health Representative, who heads the US President's emergency program to combat HIV/AIDS," writes DW❶❷.
Despite this oversight, the negotiations at the conference were "meaningful and constructive," the disgruntled State Department emphasized.
❶An organization performing the functions of a foreign agent
❷An organization whose activities are considered undesirable on the territory of the Russian Federation