An AI-generated image of Prime Minister La’aulialemalietoa Leuatea Schmidt, circulating on social media, shows several visual errors.

These include an unnatural merging of a doctor’s hand with a wheelchair, distorted “HOSPITAL” signage, and anatomical inconsistencies such as a traditional necklace appearing fused into his shirt and an enlarged head.

The AI photo has been shared widely online and is being mistaken by some users as a real update, despite concerns that it is synthetic. It comes at a time when official reports from the Samoa Observer, where Acting Prime Minister and Finance Minister Mulipola Anarosa Molioo said last Friday, that the cabinet approved and paid for the medevac of the Prime Minister, following concerns about “overdue medical checks.” 

She said the Prime Minister has health issues involving “his heart and lungs.”

Relying on unverified images instead of official updates may lead to public confusion and misinformation, as AI-generated content continues to closely resemble real photographs. 

A member of the public, Gather Leota, said the most dangerous thing about AI photo generators is that many people actually believe what they see is real. 

"It looks so convincing that people don’t even question it anymore. The biggest concern is how easily people are fooled by AI images, with many not realising they are looking at something completely fake and accepting it as truth.”

Another concerned citizen, Mataniu Gasolo, said, “What worries me most is not the technology itself, but the fact that so many people believe these AI-generated photos are real without checking. The danger with AI images is that simple people believe them. Once something looks realistic online, many assume it actually happened.”

Melanie Afemai, a student from the National University of Samoa, said AI is getting too dangerous because many people can’t tell what’s real anymore. 

"They just believe whatever they see online. The scariest part about AI images is how convincing they are. People are easily fooled and end up believing fake content. We are at a point where AI can create anything, and the danger is that most people will think it’s real without questioning it. AI is powerful, but it’s also dangerous because it makes misinformation look real, and people just accept it as the truth. Many people don’t realise they are being misled by AI-generated content, and that’s what makes it really risky today.”