Mbappe says AI dictator memes expose political blind spots
The Real Madrid and France striker said the images could be humorous but objected to comparisons with leaders linked to historical atrocities and mass suffering.
Kylian Mbappe has criticised AI-generated social media memes portraying him as a dictator, saying they reflected a lack of political and human awareness.
The Real Madrid and France striker told France Football that some of the images were made in good faith and could be funny. But he said comparisons with figures associated with killing, historical tragedies and mass suffering were harder to accept.
The memes depicted Mbappe in military clothing, seated on a throne and alongside controversial historical leaders including Soviet leader Josef Stalin.
“There’s a part of it that’s funny because you can tell that, for some people, it’s good-natured,” Mbappe said. “There’s also a part that’s a little less funny because we know the damage that people like that have caused throughout history.”
Mbappe also distinguished the memes from the nickname “Mobut”, used by France teammate Ousmane Dembele. He said Dembele’s reference to former Democratic Republic of the Congo leader Mobutu Sese Seko was a private joke rather than part of the broader meme trend.
Al Jazeera reported that Mbappe has scored 22 all-time World Cup goals, surpassing Lionel Messi’s record.
