![Popular Small-Size Actress Aunty Ajara Dies After Liver Illness [VIDEO]](https://thepunchng.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20241109_125042-75x75.jpg)
The Presidency has dismissed claims that a photograph showing President Bola Tinubu with Rwandan President Paul Kagame in Paris was generated using artificial intelligence, insisting the image is authentic and only digitally enhanced for clarity.
In a statement issued on Monday, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, described reports suggesting the image was AI-generated as a misrepresentation of facts.
Ajayi explained that both leaders genuinely met in Paris on Sunday and shared meals during their engagements in the French capital.
“The narrative that the picture of Presidents Bola Tinubu and Paul Kagame taken in Paris yesterday was AI-generated is not correct,” he said.
According to him, President Tinubu and President Kagame had lunch together earlier in the day before joining French President Emmanuel Macron for dinner later that evening.
Photo Enhanced, Not Generated — Presidency
Ajayi clarified that the controversy arose from the quality of the original image, which was taken with a mobile phone.
“The picture was taken with a phone and obviously had poor quality. The photographer later used Grok to improve the picture quality. That is not a reason to conclude it was AI-generated,” he said.
He criticised media reports and social media commentary that suggested otherwise, stressing that basic verification would have prevented the confusion.
“The writer or editor should have asked questions before arriving at this wrong conclusion,” Ajayi added.
How the Controversy Started
The clarification follows reports by PUNCH Online that a photograph released by the Presidency had drawn attention on X (formerly Twitter), where some users questioned its authenticity.
The image, which carried a Grok watermark — an AI tool developed by Elon Musk’s xAI — circulated widely on Sunday. It showed Presidents Tinubu and Kagame seated together during what was described as a private engagement in Paris.
The photograph was shared on President Tinubu’s official X handle, alongside a post stating that the discussion focused on global developments and Africa’s future.
“This afternoon, I had a private lunch with H.E. President Paul Kagame of Rwanda to discuss the current state of world affairs and advancing Africa in an ever-changing global landscape,” the President wrote.
His Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, also posted the image, noting:
“President Bola Tinubu at a private lunch in Paris with the President of the Republic of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, discussing world affairs and advancing Africa. Sunday, January 4, 2026.”
However, a Community Note added to the President’s post suggested the image might not be authentic, citing the Grok watermark as evidence.
Broader Debate on AI in Official Communication
Grok, the AI tool referenced in the controversy, is capable of generating images, producing text, and conducting real-time online searches.
The incident has sparked wider debate about the use of AI-enhanced images in official government communications, especially in the context of sensitive diplomatic and international engagements.
President Tinubu has been in Europe since December 28, after departing Lagos for an end-of-year break.
