Australia, land of sunshine, Vegemite, and now, apparently, AI-powered political shenanigans on a Chinese social media platform most of us have never heard of. Buckle up, because the 2024 election cycle just got a whole lot weirder.
The culprit? RedNote (RED), or Xiaohongshu as the cool kids in China call it. Originally a lifestyle and e-commerce platform, it’s apparently become the new battleground for political narratives. Who knew that the secret to swaying Australian voters was hidden amongst the face masks and handbag reviews?
The star of this particular show is an AI-generated deepfake of Opposition Leader Peter Dutton. Yes, you read that right. Dutton, the man who probably orders his steak well-done, is now digitally fluent in Mandarin, according to a video circulating on RED. This digital Dutton is purportedly promising to deport Chinese Australians, which, unsurprisingly, isn’t exactly winning him votes (or, you know, based in reality).
But Dutton isn’t the only one getting the AI treatment. The Albanese government is also in the crosshairs, with posts falsely claiming that Australian police are rounding up temporary migrants in shopping centers. Because nothing says ‘robust democracy’ like fabricated arrest videos going viral.
RECapture, a project from several Victorian universities, has been tracking the chaos since November. Their findings? Both major parties and independent candidates are being targeted in coordinated disinformation campaigns. It’s like a digital free-for-all, except instead of prizes, we get potentially skewed election results.
Dutton seems to be the main attraction. He’s being depicted abolishing the Aboriginal flag (ouch), misrepresenting his views on international students, and twisting his words about anti-Israel protests into a call for deporting Chinese Australians (double ouch). The digital puppeteers are really pulling out all the stops.
The problem? These narratives spread like wildfire on RED. Short-form videos, sensationalist content, and an algorithm that seems to prioritize drama over accuracy create a perfect storm for misinformation. Hundreds of likes and shares later, and you’ve got yourself a fully-fledged misinformation loop.
To add insult to injury, official accounts of Australian politicians on RED appear to be ‘shadow banned.’ Labor, Liberal, and Independent candidates are all experiencing visibility issues, while the fake news spreads unchecked. It’s like showing up to a gunfight with a sternly worded letter.
The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) is aware of the problem. They’ve acknowledged the threat of AI-driven misinformation and foreign interference. But, alas, they’re constrained by “finite resources” and jurisdictional challenges. Translation: they’re playing whack-a-mole with a spoon.
An AEC spokesperson told the ABC, “If we receive information about unauthorized content on the channel, we will have a look at it and if it requires action, we will take it.” Riveting stuff. This reactive approach stands in stark contrast to the proactive measures taken by platforms like Facebook and Instagram, which have fact-checking partnerships and AI disclosure policies. The AEC’s strategy seems to be more ‘wait and see if democracy crumbles’ than ‘actively defend the integrity of the election.’
So, what’s the solution? Stronger oversight, public awareness, and maybe a crash course for the AEC in meme warfare. Otherwise, expect more deepfakes, more misinformation, and potentially, a very different election outcome. It appears that the future of Australian democracy may hinge on whether or not someone can successfully explain the dangers of AI-generated propaganda to the average RedNote user. Good luck with that.
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