Victorian Political Parties Clash Over AI-Generated Campaign Videos
Major political parties in Victoria are trading criticisms over the deployment of AI-generated deepfake videos featuring political leaders ahead of an upcoming election.
Political campaigning in Victoria has taken a controversial turn as major parties utilize artificial intelligence to generate synthetic videos of opposing leaders. The practice has sparked intense debate, drawing criticism from transparency advocates and minor parties who argue the technology damages public trust.
Deepfakes in the Spotlight
Recent social media activity has highlighted the growing reliance on synthetic media. Victorian Labor published an AI-generated video featuring Liberal leader Jess Wilson discussing a fictional US-style healthcare system, complete with a cloned voice and a bill listing high medical costs. The video drew on comments Wilson made the previous month regarding a plan to pay private hospitals for public elective surgeries, though Wilson strongly rejected claims her party intended to Americanise the healthcare system. Premier Ben Carroll defended the Labor publication, arguing the content reflected Wilson's own stated positions.
In response, the Liberal campaign released its own AI-generated content depicting Carroll asleep at his desk, following earlier media reports regarding the Labor leader's work habits. An internal Labor source suggested the opposition initiated the use of such tactics. Additional synthetic media has emerged from external groups, including an AI-generated election night scenario from the conservative lobby group Advance Australia and material shown at a One Nation launch event.
What it means for developers
The increasing accessibility of generative tools means developers are building applications where content moderation and ethical boundaries are critical. As synthetic media becomes standard in public discourse, building reliable verification tools or working with foundational models requires careful oversight. Developers working with artificial intelligence can try top AI models cheaply through one API at https://apixoai.online.
Calls for Regulation and Transparency
Experts and minor parties are responding to the trend with demands for stricter oversight. Clancy Moore, chief executive of Transparency International Australia, warned that synthetic politicians in campaign materials further degrade public trust in democracy. The Greens are pressing for the implementation of truth in political advertising laws similar to those in South Australia and the ACT, which ban unauthorized deepfakes depicting unperformed acts and impose penalties for breaches. While researchers note that political misinformation predates modern AI tools, the debate over accountability and labeling requirements continues as the Victorian election approaches.
Source: Scare campaigns: Victoria’s major parties trade blows over AI-generated videos of leaders in election ads — The Guardian AI. Written by the Apixo team from that report.
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