AI-generated political videos threaten both fake and real content in Victorian election
Research shows deepfakes are becoming harder to detect and that voters are increasingly likely to dismiss authentic political footage as fabricated ahead of Victoria’s state election.
Researchers analysing political deepfakes from 2018 to 2026 report that AI-crafted videos are now easy for anyone to produce and increasingly indistinguishable from real footage. A meta-analysis of 19 studies involving over 24,000 people found deepfakes to be as convincing as conventional misinformation and linked them to declining trust in media and democratic bodies. In a separate test of 411 Australians, 75% correctly spotted deepfakes, yet 29% incorrectly flagged a genuine political video as fake and 18% remained uncertain.
Frequent news consumers were better at spotting low-quality fakes but not sophisticated ones, and their confidence often did not match accuracy. Age and political alignment also influenced detection rates, with older voters and those viewing content that aligned with their own party being more vulnerable. The authors advise voters to verify sources, seek corroborating evidence, and avoid sharing doubtful material, emphasizing that healthy scepticism must be balanced to prevent a “liar’s dividend.”
