Australian Election 2025: Greens senator David Shoebridge urges action over AI deepfakes

A Greens senator has lashed Labor for not enacting “essential guard rails” on AI deepfakes ahead of this year’s federal election.

Greens senator David Shoebridge has urged Labor to put in “essential guard rails” to safeguard Australian voters against AI-generated deepfake content ahead of the next election.

Australia’s election tsar has also urged voters to be sceptical of what they see online as political campaign ramp up before this year’s federal election, slated either on or before May 17.

With parliament resuming next Tuesday, Senator Shoebridge accused the government of delaying action.

Interim recommendations released in October as part of a Senate committee examining the adoption of AI had recommended the implementation of voluntary codes for the watermarking and credentialling of AI-generated content on digital platforms, with the guidelines to be implemented before this year’s election.

Australian Greens senator David Shoebridge said the government had delayed acting on the dangers of AI-generated deepfakes, and its impact to derail this year’s federal election. Picture: NewsWire/ Martin Ollman

“It’s extraordinary that the government has been on notice about the risks here for more than a year and almost nothing to stop the deepfakes being used to steal the election. They haven’t even required that political AI deepfakes be labelled,” he said.

“Without clear laws we could see deepfakes falsely ‘prove’ a politician took bribes or worked for a foreign government.

“We need to act quickly to prevent this because by the time the truth comes out, the damage is well and truly done.”

While the Greens are set to give notice of its Broadcasting Services and Other Legislation Amendment (Political Deepfake Blackout) Bill 2025, it will likely not be debated in the next, and last, sitting fortnight before the election.

“With an election just months away there is still time to put in some essential guard rails, but for this to happen we need the government to join us in making it happen,” he said.

Acting Electoral Commissioner Jeff Pope urged voters to exercise ‘scepticism’ of over what they ‘see hear or read’. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

On Friday, Australia Electoral Commission’s acting commissioner Jeff Pope urged voters to have a “healthy degree of scepticism when it comes to what they see, hear or read”.

The regulator will also expand its Stop and Consider advertising campaign and increase its presence on digital and social media platform.

“People might come across false of misleading information about the process, including AI-generated content,” he said.

“Research with voters last year found many are at risk of electoral process information that isn’t correct.

“The reality is anyone can be affected.”

“Australia has one of the most trusted electoral systems in the world. We all have a responsibility to protect it.”

However, Mr Pope believed misleading information was being spread by domestic actors, and not a result of foreign interference.

“Our experience would indicate that we’re doing this to ourselves which is one of the sad things about how some of this plays out … it’s right across all elements of society,” he said.

“We’re seeing sovereign citizens and conspiracy theorists and keyboard warriors who don’t want to reveal their identity but they do want to stir the pot.”

Originally published as Australian Election 2025: Greens senator David Shoebridge urges action over AI deepfakes