One Nation and Trumpet of Patriots candidate photos not so real

One Nation and Trumpet of Patriots candidates appear to have AI airbrushed their election campaign photos in a bid to polish their pitch to voters. SEE THE PHOTOS

One Nation and Trumpet of Patriots candidates appear to have AI airbrushed their election campaign photos in a bid to polish their pitch to voters.

Richard Graham, a One Nation candidate for the electorate of Eden Monaro in NSW, and Paul Morrell, a Trumpet of Patriots candidate for the seat of Spence in South Australia, have raised eyebrows with their unusually perfect profiles.

Mr Graham’s candidate profile allegedly carries the telltale signs of AI enhancement, with an overly smooth and glossy finish, missing textures, and unnatural lighting compared to his campaign videos.

A very AI looking One Nation candidate Richard Graham.

Mr Morrell said he wasn’t aware AI had been used on his main campaign photo, but admitted the picture “has been airbrushed … obviously because people within the party think I am ugly in my natural state”.

One Nation candidate Richard Graham. Image from Facebook.

“Due to still working my usual job that consists of 80 hours per week while trying to campaign, I haven’t been able to arrange a photo shoot,” he said.

Mr Graham declined to comment through a party representative.

UTS associate professor of visual communication Cherine Fahd has spent decades examining photos and said she believed both candidates’ images were AI-generated, or “at least” heavily photoshopped.

Paul Morrell as pictured on Facebook

“The images look so fake … As someone trained at looking at the face in photographs, it appears as if the life has been removed from them and they look like an animation or a caricature,” she said.

“Mr Graham still looks like a man of a certain age, but the (lack) of skin texture really stands out to me.

“It looks like he has been botoxed to the hilt.”

Paul Morrell as he appears on his how to vote card.

Redbridge director Kos Samaras said enhancing images was nothing new despite the rise of AI across politics.

“Political parties will regularly touch up photos for their candidates,” he said.

“In the past they used photoshop and other desktop applications, but AI is clearly being utilised now as a cheaper alternative.

A picture of Paul Morrell "taken at work" sent to this masthead.

“Politics does not exactly attract faces that belong in Hollywood.”

Warren’s take on the airbrush saga.

But Mr Samaras warned candidates risk alienating support if they become too heavy-handed with AI, saying: “If voters spot a fake and it’s proven to be a fake, it will hurt them (in the polls).”

Originally published as One Nation and Trumpet of Patriots candidate photos not so real