Spotting AI-generated political content ahead of the Vic state election

Spotting AI-generated political content ahead of the Vic state election

An ABC investigation this week revealed a seemingly Australian political commentator was in fact a Brazilian content creator using AI generated content. An RMIT expert says this is a timely reminder that Victorians should be cautious about trusting everything they see and hear online ahead of the state election, and how to best spot fake content.

Dr T.J. Thomson, School of Media and Communication: 

"AI tools are making it easier to generate text, photorealistic visuals and convincing audio – so you can’t always trust your eyes or ears. 

“With election season right around the corner, it's important for voters to remain vigilant and think critically about the information they encounter.  

“Sometimes, it’s about the little things. Forensic analysts zoomed in and slowed down the Brazilian YouTuber’s videos and noticed little things didn’t match up. This can be the case of tiny wrinkles or moles disappearing momentarily, or eye movements that don’t look quite right. 

"Few of us are forensic analysts or have the time to individually verify each piece of content we come across, so a more practical approach is to evaluate the source and what other people are saying.  

"Rather than spending minutes assessing every detail with a fine-toothed comb, a quick online search might reveal whether the source or fact in question is reliable or has evidence behind it. 

"Some social media platforms have started to require creators to disclose when they use AI. But not all creators do this and when they do, sometimes the disclosures are small, hidden away, or are confusing. It’s also hard to know what a 'made with AI' label means and whether it's completely synthetic or just has small edits by using AI.  

"That’s where 'critical ignoring' comes into play. Recognising when something isn’t worth your time and moving on can be a good strategy." 

Dr T.J. Thomson is an associate professor and Australian Research Council DECRA Fellow at RMIT, where he co-leads The News, Technology, and Society Network. His research is united by its focus on visual communication. 

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General media enquiries: RMIT External Affairs and Media, 0439 704 077 or news@rmit.edu.au

18 September 2026

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18 September 2026

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