AI-Generated Video Deemed Dangerous for Democracy: Miles
The Sydney Morning Herald
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Details
- Date Published
- 23 July 2024
- Priority Score
- 4
- Australian
- Yes
- Created
- 8 Mar 2025, 01:04 pm
Description
Premier Steven Miles says a deepfake LNP video of him dancing is a “very dangerous turning point” for democracy.
Summary
Queensland Premier Steven Miles has raised concerns over democracy's vulnerability in light of a deepfake video created by the Liberal-National Party. The AI-generated video depicts Miles dancing, raising alarms about the potential of deepfakes to mislead voters and influence political campaigns. While the video was clearly labeled as AI-produced, Miles warns that such technology represents a turning point where visual media can no longer be deemed inherently trustworthy. This incident highlights the global discourse on AI's role in election integrity and the need for robust regulatory frameworks to address the misuse of generative AI technologies. The response from the Australian Electoral Commission underscores the significance of protecting electoral integrity amidst rapid technological advancements.
Body
BySavannah MeachamJuly 23, 2024 — 1.28pmSaveLog in,registerorsubscribeto save articles for later.Save articles for laterAdd articles to your saved list and come back to them any time.Got itNormal text sizeLarger text sizeVery large text sizeA deepfake video of the Queensland premier dancing may seem amusing, but Steven Miles says it is a dangerous turning point for democracy.The Liberal-National Party in Queensland posted a video on the social media platform TikTok showing Steven Miles grooving to a popular 2000s song.A 14-second LNP TikTok ad shows an AI-generated Steven Miles dancing to a hit song.Credit:TikTokIt was captioned: “POV: my rent is up $60 a week, my power bill is up 20 per cent, but the premier made a sandwich on TikTok.”But it’s not the premier dancing – the video was created using generative artificial intelligence and is labelled as such.LoadingThe premier said while the video seemed harmless, it represented a “turning point for democracy”.“Until now, we’ve known that photos could be doctored or Photoshopped, but we’ve been trained to believe what we see in video,” Miles told reporters on Tuesday.“For a political party now to be willing to use AI to make deepfake attack videos, it’s a very dangerous turning point.”Miles said all Queenslanders would now need to keep their eyes open for the occurrence of fake videos.Advertisement“Queenslanders between now and October will have to question everything they see from the LNP and ask whether it is real or a deepfake,” he said.He guaranteed the Queensland Labor Party had no plans to use AI-generated videos for electoral advertising.But the LNP’s Queensland branch defended the post, saying it was clearly labelled as AI.“Young Queenslanders have been hit with higher rents and increased power prices under Labor, and this post – which is clearly labelled as being created with AI – is an example of one way we can share that message,” a spokesperson said.Miles argued that most people would miss the disclaimer when scrolling.The LNP spokesperson said Labor had also uploaded AI-generated videos to social media.“Steven Miles knows AI is a tool commonly used by many creators on this platform, and [he] knows his own party has used it,” the spokesperson said.The use of AI during elections has raised questions about integrity globally amid fears it will generate misinformation.In a submission to an inquiry into the technology this year, the Australian Electoral Commission said it was focused on the potential impact of AI on “electoral integrity and citizen trust”.“The AEC is doing what we can to continue to monitor developments with this new and emerging threat,” it said.AAPSaveLog in,registerorsubscribeto save articles for later.Queensland votesAISouth-east QueenslandLoading