US map gaffe at AIDS 2026 conference triggers apology and scrutiny

At AIDS 2026 in Rio, a US State Department slide showing Africa mislabeled several countries (Nigeria placed in the Sahara, Mozambique in the Horn of Africa, Ivory Coast misplaced) and appeared to carry an OpenAI watermark. The error, attributed to a hastily modified slide, drew online ridicule and prompted a formal apology from the department, even as PEPFAR-related health discussions continued.