Presidency Denies Claims of AI Photo With Kagame

The Presidency has dismissed claims circulating in the media and on social platforms that a photograph showing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu with Rwandan President Paul Kagame in Paris was generated using artificial intelligence.

In a statement issued on Monday by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, the Presidency described the reports and online commentary as a misrepresentation of facts.

According to the statement, the photograph is authentic and was taken during a meeting between Presidents Tinubu and Kagame in Paris on Sunday.

The two leaders were said to have met earlier in the day and had lunch together before attending a dinner engagement with French President Emmanuel Macron later that evening.

The Presidency explained that the image, which sparked speculation due to its appearance, was taken with a mobile phone and initially had poor visual quality.

It said the photographer subsequently used an image-enhancement tool, grok, to improve clarity, stressing that the act did not make the photograph artificially generated.

He faulted the conclusion that the image was AI-generated, noting that proper verification would have clarified the issue.

He  further urged media practitioners to seek clarification before publishing claims capable of misleading the public.