AI tools were used to create a deepfake video of Kenyan President William Ruto speaking in French, which was then circulated on social media platforms, misleading viewers about the president's language capabilities.
A manipulated video of Kenyan President William Ruto circulated on social media platforms including TikTok and Facebook, showing him apparently speaking in French about tax rates and economic development. The video showed Ruto on a podium with flags behind him, with overlaid text claiming 'So, President Ruto can speak French.' However, fact-checkers from Africa Check discovered through reverse image searches that the original video from February 7, 2024, showed Ruto speaking in English to the Kenyan diaspora in Tokyo, Japan. The audio had been edited using artificial intelligence voice cloning tools to make it appear he was speaking French while discussing tax-to-GDP ratios, comparing Japan's 34.8% rate to Kenya's 15%. The manipulated video was shared multiple times across Facebook and originated from TikTok. The incident demonstrates the increasing sophistication and prevalence of AI-generated deepfakes that can convincingly alter speech in foreign languages, making such content increasingly difficult to detect without verification.
Domain classification, causal taxonomy, severity scores, and national security assessments were LLM-classified and may contain errors.
AI systems that inadvertently generate or spread incorrect or deceptive information, which can lead to inaccurate beliefs in users and undermine their autonomy. Humans that make decisions based on false beliefs can experience physical, emotional or material harms
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
No population impact data reported.