With the help of "AI-generated images, deepfake anthems and algorithmic fervour", Burkina Faso's president has been transformed into a "digital messiah", gripping the attention of Africans across the continent, said The Africa Report .

Ibrahim Traoré, military leader of the West African country, is splashed across social media in a variety of postures – "stoic in military fatigues", "draped in pan-African flags" or as "a diving warrior glowing with celestial light". Beyoncé, Selena Gomez and other American celebrities have seemingly paid homage to him, through song or dramatic emotional displays. But these images, which have racked up millions of views, are fraudulent – part of a torrent of misinformation that reaches far beyond Burkina Faso's borders.

'Algorithmic populism'

Traoré "h

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