Chief Baltasar Engonga a senior official and influential figure in Equatorial Guinea has publicly denied the authenticity of recently circulated videos that purportedly depict him in compromising situations. In a statement on national television Engonga claimed that these videos had been manipulated through advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technology specifically deepfake techniques as part of a calculated effort by his political adversaries to tarnish his reputation.

“I want to tell the people of Equatorial Guinea that those videos are AI-edited. They have been engineered by my enemies, who are trying so hard to bring me down,” Engonga said. His denial comes after the videos, which surfaced on social media, went viral and sparked widespread discussions across the nation. Engonga called on his supporters and the public to dismiss the videos as false propaganda designed to destabilize both his career and Equatorial Guinea’s political landscape.

The use of AI-manipulated content, commonly known as deepfakes has recently become a growing global concern. Deepfake technology employs artificial intelligence to generate hyper-realistic, fabricated videos that make it appear as though individuals are engaged in actions they never actually performed. Experts in digital security caution that deepfakes pose unique challenges to truth and trust in the age of social media especially when used against public figures to spread disinformation or manipulate public opinion.