One Nation’s new AI‑generated campaign video, shown at the party’s Victorian launch, has drawn criticism for its use of racist tropes. The clip depicts an African‑looking man with a machete, a Middle Eastern figure wearing an explosive vest, a South Asian man in a turban discussing “mass migration” and an Indigenous elder speaking about “money … on the basis of need, not identity.”
The clip was largely ignored by mainstream media, which instead reported on Pauline Hanson’s reception, the music played and Mark Nicholson’s pledge to jail state leaders. A Guardian Australia reporter noted that the video’s first segment—an AI‑generated scene of a young man “coming out” as a conservative to his left‑wing family—mirrors a similar Israeli campaign clip. Critics described the gags as tired and accused the piece of being a deliberate rage‑bait designed to provoke a scripted backlash.
Regulators currently lack the authority to act on such content. The Australian Communications and Media Authority cannot intervene because its powers do not cover AI‑generated material that is not broadcast, while electoral commissions can only address misinformation about the electoral process. The federal Labor government has so far declined to ban AI‑generated content in election periods, despite growing calls from parliamentarians and the public.
The incident highlights a broader trend of “AI slop” infiltrating politics. Senators and experts, including David Pocock and Prof Terry Flew, argue that deepfakes threaten public trust and could compromise election integrity. The joint committee on AI heard witnesses that AI makes it harder for voters to distinguish authentic from manipulated content, and the inquiry recommends that the government consider prohibiting AI‑generated deepfakes during election periods.
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