The United States Department of State has apologised after an AI-generated map displayed during the 26th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2026) in Brazil incorrectly labelled the locations of several African countries.
The map, which was used during a presentation on the State Department’s new global health agreements, contained multiple geographical errors. Nigeria was incorrectly depicted as a landlocked country in the Sahara Desert instead of West Africa, while Mozambique was shown in the Horn of Africa rather than southeastern Africa. Côte d’Ivoire was also misplaced on the map.
The errors attracted widespread attention after conference participants photographed the presentation slide and shared it on social media.
According to Reuters, analysis of the presentation video indicated that the image carried a watermark suggesting it had been generated using OpenAI tools. OpenAI said it was investigating the incident.
In a statement, the State Department accepted responsibility for the error, attributing it to a staff member who reportedly modified the presentation shortly before the session.
“We take full responsibility for the confusion and misrepresentation it caused for attendees, including our African partners,” the department said.
The presentation was delivered by Jeff Graham, the senior US official overseeing the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), one of the world’s largest HIV/AIDS programmes.
The incident drew criticism from health and policy experts, who questioned how the inaccurate map passed official review before being presented at an international conference.
Matt Petit, an artificial intelligence and geopolitics specialist at the Atlantic Council, told Reuters that the slide reflected poor geographical knowledge and inadequate quality control.
The map gained wider attention after AIDS researcher Emily Bass shared screenshots of the presentation in a Substack post, with the images subsequently circulating across social media platforms.
The incident comes as the United States continues to review its overseas health assistance under President Donald Trump’s administration. Although PEPFAR has resumed supplying life-saving HIV medications following last year’s foreign aid review, US funding for disease prevention, surveillance and several other public health programmes has been reduced.
The administration has also announced plans to phase out PEPFAR operations in South Africa as part of a broader restructuring of its global health strategy.