Kylian Mbappe on AI dictator memes: It shows a lack of political awareness

Asked by France Football magazine how he felt about the memes, Mbappe acknowledged the humour, but said he didn’t like being compared to figures associated with tragedies.  | Photo Credit: AFP

Kylian Mbappe didn’t fully enjoy the flurry of AI memes depicting him as a dictator on social media during the World Cup.

The France star was portrayed in military outfits, sitting on a throne, or posing next to Soviet leader Josef Stalin and other controversial leaders.

Asked by France Football magazine how he felt about the memes, Mbappe acknowledged the humor, but said he didn’t like being compared to figures associated with tragedies.

“There’s a part of it that’s funny because you can tell that, for some people, it’s good-natured,” he 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. Being compared to people who murder others, or who have made millions and millions of people miserable. ... I don’t think I’ve done that in my life. So there’s a mixture of things.”

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The France striker, who overtook Lionel Messi for the most career World Cup goals with 22, added: “I know it’s done in a light-hearted way and that it doesn’t go that far, but sometimes it shows a lack of political and human awareness among people.”

Mbappé was reminded that his France teammate Ousmane Dembélé gave him the nickname “Mobut,” a reference to the former autocratic leader Mobutu Sese Seko.

“With Ousmane, it’s something is different,” Mbappé said. “He picked it up from social media. With him, it’s just a joke.”