Liberal Party releases Australia’s first fully AI-generated political ad
The Australian Liberal Party has created the country’s first fully AI-generated political ad, a move that is expected to cause some controversy.
For an advert that will air exclusively in Canberra, the Liberal Party used generative AI to create a deepfake of ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr.
The advert features Bob, a man who votes for the same political party every year.
“Every time it’s time to vote, Bob votes for the same party,” the ad’s narrator said.
“After 20 years of broken promises, we’re not happy, Andrew,” the ad continues, alongside an AI representation of Barr and several news headlines, including “Wait Times at emergencies are the worst in the country” and “Housing crisis expected to intensify”. in an “unhealthy” market.
Before advertising, the use of AI in political ads was exclusive to social media, with the Liberal Party facing backlash after releasing a fake video of Queensland Premier Steven Miles dancing.
“This individual video may be fairly harmless, but it represents a turning point…a pretty dangerous turning point,” Miles said. 9News.
The move comes as a parliamentary inquiry pushed back against legislation that would ban the use of AI-generated content in election campaigns, while recognizing that the technology could and likely would be used to spread disinformation.
The Special Committee on AI Adoption has recommended that the government develop new laws and regulations regarding the use of AI in the run-up to the next federal election.
However, the Senate committee, while recognizing the risk that generative AI poses in the spread of disinformation and its use in election campaigns, said the election was too early and there would not be enough time to develop properly considered legislation.
“…Any proposed legislation of this type must be carefully considered to avoid any potential bias in its application and to ensure that it does not impinge on the right to freedom of expression and the implied right to freedom of political communication” , he declared.
Currently, provided it is authorized by a political party, AI can be used to represent political figures under the name of Commonwealth Electoral Law.
However, the government is considering a ban similar to that of South Korea, which recently quickly introduced laws to make the use of AI in political campaign videos illegal. Those who break this rule face up to seven years in prison.
