By https://www.abc.net.au/news/matt-neal/10092648
Publication Date: 2026-05-29 20:30:00
It’s an image of a humpback whale leaping out of the water, its three or possibly four fins glistening in the bright orange sunset.
The apparently AI-generated image was posted to Liberal South West Coast MP Roma Britnell’s Facebook page to mark the arrival of the first southern right whales of the whale watching season in her electorate.
While it may not involve the release of images of US President Donald Trump as Pope, King or even Jesus Christ, the creation and distribution of the anatomically incorrect whale image has raised a serious question.
Should politicians even bother with AI-generated images?
Humpback whales have two pectoral fins. (Supplied: Jodie Lowe’s Marine Animal Photography)
“Sloppy, rushed, inauthentic”
ANU political marketing expert Andrew Hughes said the amount of AI-generated content in political news was increasing because it was a cheap, quick and easy way to publish eye-catching, visual content.
Dr. Hughes…
