An AI-generated deepfake video falsely showing Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema announcing he would not seek re-election in 2026 was created and spread across multiple social media platforms, reaching over 77,000 views before being debunked by fact-checkers and officials.
In October 2023, a fabricated video using artificial intelligence technology was created showing Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema falsely announcing that he would not seek re-election in the 2026 general elections. The video was posted by a TikTok account called @zambian_ai and subsequently spread across multiple social media platforms including X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and YouTube. One version posted by an account linked to Ghanaian politician Samuel Koku Anyidoho received over 5,000 views, while the original TikTok version had been viewed over 77,000 times before being deleted. The video showed visual signs of digital manipulation, including only the president's face moving while his body remained still, and misformed teeth in some frames. Digital forensics experts confirmed the video had been edited using easy-to-use AI tools, creating what they described as a 'cheap fake' rather than a sophisticated deepfake. Multiple fact-checking organizations including AFP and PesaCheck debunked the video. The secretary general of Zambia's ruling United Party for National Development confirmed the video was fake and implied opposition members had created it. Zambian police launched an investigation into the video's creator. The president has made no actual announcement about not running for re-election in 2026.
Domain classification, causal taxonomy, severity scores, and national security assessments were LLM-classified and may contain errors.
Using AI systems to conduct large-scale disinformation campaigns, malicious surveillance, or targeted and sophisticated automated censorship and propaganda, with the aim of manipulating political processes, public opinion, and behavior.
AI system
Due to a decision or action made by an AI system
Intentional
Due to an expected outcome from pursuing a goal
Post-deployment
Occurring after the AI model has been trained and deployed