Written By: Seringe S.T. Touray
Mai Ahmad Fatty’s fiery press conference on Thursday, where he accused Kassa TV of hacking his phone and defaming him feels more like a deflection than a defense. If his phone was truly hacked, where is the evidence? Doesn’t he use a password or biometric lock, like most of us? And why wasn’t this reported to the police before facing the cameras? Has he filed that report yet, and will he be keeping the public updated on the findings of such investigation?
Mai claimed once again that his phone was hacked for a second time during his press conference, to publish a post that evidently appeared to have been AI-generated – again accusing Kassa TV. This occurred while he was using his phone to record the press conference, which he presented as evidence that he couldn’t have posted anything at that very moment. But this logic is flimsy at best. One doesn’t need the same phone to post something online. Most platforms are simultaneously accessible via both phone and computer, and it’s entirely possible for someone to coordinate a post on his behalf, especially if the goal is to shift blame.
The reality is, it looks very much like Mai got caught using ChatGPT to help craft a political statement. That’s not a scandal – it’s a sign of the times. In many developed nations, professionals and institutions are increasingly and openly embracing the use of AI technology to improve their work and performance. Of course, like any tool, AI can be used responsibly or irresponsibly – it all depends on the person using it.
Unfortunately, the shame still exists here, in The Gambia, where we don’t even distinguish between responsible and irresponsible use. We simply shame anyone who uses AI at all. Instead of embracing innovation, we turn it into yet another weapon to tear each other down.
Rather than admitting what happened, it appears as though Mai lashed out, accusing a media platform of foul play without presenting a shred of proof. If these accusations are false, what he said could constitute defamation.
We must stop stigmatizing technology and start learning how to use it responsibly, because whether anybody likes it or not, unless you’re one of the indigenous groups in the Amazon who have actively avoided or rejected contact with outsiders, everyone else in the world uses AI one way or another. If Mai used AI, he should have just owned it. Instead, he seemed more worried about protecting his ego than telling the truth – and the public appears to see through it.
