{
  "id": 5763534,
  "title": "Bright Simons fires back, rejects claims he used AI to critique SIGA report",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/05/bright-simons-fires-back-rejects-claims-he-used-ai-to-critique-siga",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-05T10:45:12.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
    "slug": "myjoyonline-ghana",
    "url": "https://www.myjoyonline.com/bright-simons-fires-back-rejects-claims-he-used-ai-to-critique-siga-report/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "IMANI Africa Vice President Bright Simons has dismissed allegations made by State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA) Director-General Michael Kpessa-Whyte that he utilized artificial intelligence to critique SIGA’s latest report. During an interview on JoyNews’ Newsfile, Simons vehemently rejected the notion that he had outsourced his analysis to AI, calling it \"absolutely offensive.\" SIGA had questioned how Simons could have produced a comprehensive assessment so quickly after the 448-page report was released, asserting that much of his criticism stemmed from AI-generated information. Furthermore, SIGA contended that the AI analysis was based on outdated data rather than the figures present in the report, prompting SIGA's director-general to urge people to read the report in full before commenting.\n\nIn response, Simons clarified that the technology was employed solely to aid in data extraction and did not replace his professional judgment. He explained that his team utilized tools like Tabula for extracting data from PDF files and Excel Power Query for processing the information. Simons emphasized that he has never delegated his thinking to AI throughout his 20-year career in policy analysis in the country. He further highlighted his ability to pinpoint areas that needed further scrutiny, stating, \"We know exactly where the fault lines are.\"\n\nSimons maintained that the central issue was not the use of AI tools but rather whether SIGA had adequately addressed the specific errors he identified in the report. He pointed out that certain cost figures had been consistently repeated over multiple years, undermining the reliability of the reported ratios. Simons challenged SIGA's handling of foreign-exchange and revaluation gains, as well as their consolidation of transactions between entities. He provided examples to demonstrate how SIGA's consolidation was not adequately reconciled, leading to an unreliable final product.\n\nThese were specific technical concerns that Simons claimed SIGA had yet to address. He stressed that these were valid and specific allegations, arguing that accusing Simons of relying solely on AI to generate incorrect insights was unfair.",
  "summary": "IMANI Africa Vice President Bright Simons has rejected claims by State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA) Director-General Michael Kpessa-Whyte that he relied heavily on artificial intelligence to critique SIGA’s latest report.",
  "key_points": [
    "Bright Simons denies using AI to critique SIGA report",
    "Simons' team used data extraction tools like Tabula and Excel Power Query",
    "Allegations focus on SIGA's handling of specific errors and inconsistencies"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}