The US State Department acknowledged an error regarding an inaccurate African map presented at the AIDS 2026 conference in Brazil.
The US State Department admitted to an "unfortunate error" after presenting a highly inaccurate map of Africa during the AIDS 2026 conference in Rio de Janeiro. The map, which was produced using OpenAI tools, incorrectly positioned and shaped several countries, including placing Nigeria in the Sahara and Mozambique in the Horn of Africa. Jeff Graham, a senior official overseeing the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), presented the map during a discussion on the administration's new health agreements with African countries. The error was attributed to a team member who hastily modified the slides just before the event. Critics, including former State Department official Cameron Hudson, noted that the mistake reflects the impact of the administration's restructuring of the State Department, which involved significant staff cuts and a shift toward using artificial intelligence in diplomacy. Despite the error, the State Department maintained that the discussions remained substantive and constructive, reaffirming the administration's commitment to fighting HIV/Aids globally.