Indian media outlets have questioned the authenticity of a certificate circulated online following Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to Seychelles.
The discussion comes after an event at State House where President Dr Patrick Herminie conferred a special presidential distinction on Mr Modi.
According to State House, the “Guardian of the Blue Horizon” distinction is the highest honour that the Republic of Seychelles grants to an international dignitary
The ceremony took place during Mr Modi’s state visit to Seychelles. The visit coincided with the country’s Golden Jubilee celebrations and the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Seychelles and India.
Several Indian media outlets and social media users congratulated Mr Modi following the event. Their posts included photographs of the award ceremony and an image of a certificate linked to the distinction.
However, some Indian media organisations later highlighted what they described as irregularities in the document.
The NewsLaundry website reported: “An award created four days before the ceremony. A citation with three typos. A reported AI watermark.”
Another Indian media outlet, Spot On, also reported on the issue. It stated that the certificate contained several spelling mistakes and that the matter later gained attention on social media.
At the moment it is unclear of the origin of what is being described as an AI generated certificate.
The Government of Seychelles has not yet responded to the matter.