Dilan Yeşilgöz AI media incident — Sep 2026
An analysis by Nieuwsuur revealed that defense speeches by Dutch officials and social media posts by the Prime Minister were generated using artificial.
- Incident date
- Sep 2026
- Target
- Dilan Yeşilgöz, Derk Boswijk, Rob Jetten
Recent investigations in the Netherlands have uncovered significant use of artificial intelligence by government officials in the creation of speeches and social media content. These revelations coincide with public calls for transparency regarding AI-generated media, as evidenced by recent survey data showing that 77 percent of Dutch respondents advocate for mandatory labeling of AI-created art.
What happened
In September 2026, an analysis by the news program Nieuwsuur examined 77 speeches delivered by Cabinet officials. The investigation determined that key defense speeches delivered by Defense Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz and State Secretary Derk Boswijk earlier that year were generated by AI. While the Defense Ministry denied using AI to generate the texts, they acknowledged that it is utilized as a "tool." Previously, Boswijk had been confronted regarding the use of AI in a speech delivered during the Keti Koti slavery commemoration, an occurrence he claimed not to understand.
Separately, it was revealed that Prime Minister Rob Jetten had authored hundreds of social media posts using AI. These posts addressed sensitive public topics, including the war in Ukraine, the government's apology to the Moluccan community, and the commemoration of the MH17 plane crash. Beyond government communications, a platform called AIReport conducted an investigation into opinion pieces published by major Dutch newspapers. Out of 252 analyzed pieces, the study found that at least 49 were fully AI-generated, while another 57 percent were partially generated. Publications identified as using AI for opinion content included De Volkskrant, Trouw, Het Parool, and Het Financieele Dagblad.