A few days ago, I had a conversation that left me both concerned and inspired. Someone, who has never stepped into a classroom, confidently shared that “the man who loves to slap everyone peed in his pants” after seeing his country hit by missiles from “the country we do not name.”
I froze.
Because I had seen that same video too — on YouTube. Except I remembered something important: it was AI-generated. Entirely fake.
She didn’t know. She believed it. She repeated it. And she was ready to tell others.
That’s when it hit me — the real danger of AI isn’t robots taking over. It’s deepfakes taking over minds that never had the chance to be trained to question.
🧠 AI and the Untrained Mind
AI is like fire: powerful, neutral, and wildly dangerous in the wrong hands.
But what happens when the people watching, listening, and voting don’t even know it is fire?
In places where education is limited, and where emotions run high — especially around identity, tribe, religion, or race — one fake video could do what years of hate speech couldn’t. Light a match. Start a war.
And in Africa, where some leaders love to stir ethnic tension for political power, this is especially risky. Because a fake video of someone insulting a tribe, attacking a religion, or faking a confession could spiral into real-world violence.
We need to teach digital literacy like we teach hygiene — urgently, widely, and often.
🥊 Now, About That Man Who Loves to Slap…
Let’s talk about our friend — the one who slaps every neighbor with ease and confidence.
He’s been slapping for years. Sometimes directly. Sometimes through other people’s hands. Always bold, always smug.
And every time, the slapped would respond with a weak tap. A press release. Maybe a small protest.
This made him believe he was untouchable.
So one day, he aimed his slap at his dream target — the one slap he’s fantasized about for decades.
And oh, he slapped with power.
With force.
With arrogance.
But then… something happened.
The neighbor didn’t fall. He stumbled, got up, and slapped back.
Not once. Not twice. But with a level of heat that made the master slapper’s head spin and roll on the floor.
The world watched.
This was not part of the script. The man who sold the image of invincibility — of someone even un-slapped neighbors feared — was now exposed.
He did not pee his pants. But for the first time, he feared being humiliated.
🧠 What’s the Lesson?
Whether it’s global politics or your own life:
- Don’t underestimate someone just because they look weak.
- Don’t overestimate your own power just because no one fought back — yet.
- Don’t believe everything you see online — especially if it feels too perfectly satisfying.
And most of all:
💥 In a world where AI can fake anything, critical thinking is your only real defense.
Salima
Just me thinking out loud over here