What happens when a government that loves to preach about the dangers of misinformation becomes the agent of the very thing they warn us of? Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Dr. Korir Sing’Oei just gave us a masterclass in exactly that.
In an epic moment of self-embarrassment, PS Sing’Oei thought it would be a brilliant idea to share a deepfake video of CNN’s Fareed Zakaria praising Kenya’s peace efforts in Sudan. He even had the nerve to weaponize it against critics, or as he called them, “fake analysts,” who question Kenya’s diplomacy. Talk about missing the irony.
The video showed Zakaria—or rather, an AI version of him—heaping praise on Kenya’s role as East Africa’s peacemaker. The fake Zakaria was decked out in the same suit, tie, and pocket square from an old Trump White House segment, complete with his trademark hand gestures.
However, the devil was in the details: wonky lip-syncing, grainy footage, and graphics that looked like they were made by someone who just discovered Adobe’s suite.
“Is it conceivable that a whole PS could knowingly post an AI-generated video of an internationally renowned journalist?” one Kenyan asked on X. Veteran journalist John Allan Namu didn’t even need that many words: “These jokes write themselves.”
The fake broadcast painted Kenya as some sort of diplomatic superhero, swooping in to solve Sudan’s crisis while other nations twiddle their thumbs. “Kenya isn’t just doing this out of goodwill; it’s acting in its own strategic interest,” AI-Zakaria declared, sounding about as authentic as a politician making promises.
Sing’Oei eventually took down the video, but not before it racked up 60,000 views. Thankfully, X user The Eastleigh Voice reposted the video shortly after.
In trying to prove Kenya’s diplomatic credibility, our Foreign Affairs PS just showed the world why they shouldn’t trust us. You really can’t make this stuff up, unless, of course, you have access to AI-Zakaria.
UPDATE
Dr. Sing’Oei has come forward with what appears to be a genuine mea culpa, and it’s quite something.
In a lengthy statement posted to X, the Foreign Affairs PS admitted to “inadvertently” sharing the AI-generated video. He expressed regret for any confusion caused and thanked those who called out the deepfake.
But here’s where it gets interesting: Sing’Oei revealed that his ministry has apparently been working behind the scenes with tech companies to develop watermarking systems for AI-generated content. The aim is to make sure fake content can’t masquerade as human-created material, which is exactly what happened in this case.
The Foreign Affairs PS has also announced he’ll be attending the newly created School on AI Diplomacy (SAID) at the Foreign Services Academy.
The incident, embarrassing as it was, might actually lead to something positive if it pushes Kenyan officials to take AI literacy more seriously. Though next time, perhaps they should complete the training before posting AI content, not after.
