‘Violent’ image targeting Sydney MP sparks fear of AI state election attack ads - SMH.com.au
A violent AI-generated image of a Sydney Labor MP sparked concerns over the use of synthetic political attack ads ahead of the upcoming NSW state election
- Incident date
- Jun 2026
- Target
- Julia Finn
On June 24, 2026, a controversial AI-generated image depicting a violent act against a Sydney Labor MP, Julia Finn, triggered significant backlash and highlighted growing concerns regarding the use of synthetic media in political campaigning. The image, shared by Cumberland Councillor Steve Christou, showed himself appearing to kick Finn while she fell to the ground, with the goal of soliciting donations for his Libertarian campaign to unseat her in the Granville electorate. This incident has reignited debates about the ethics of political discourse and the potential for AI tools to be weaponized as the state approaches its next election.
What happened
The image was created using AI and shared on Facebook by Steve Christou to promote his candidacy. In the depiction, Christou is shown smiling while kicking Finn, who is falling to the ground in front of a background featuring the federal parliament building. Finn, who expressed shock at the violence of the imagery, described the post as crossing the line of acceptable political conduct. In response, Christou defended the post as political satire, arguing that Finn, as a political operator, should expect such tactics.
While this specific image is not classified as a deepfake, it has been categorized by observers as a form of "AI slopaganda." The incident has prompted calls from unions and Labor branches for the adoption of stricter AI protections at the upcoming state party conference, including mandatory transparency labels for all AI-generated content. Current NSW laws prohibit deepfakes of politicians during the formal election period, which is defined as the weeks leading up to poll day, but these regulations do not currently cover the pre-campaign messaging seen in this instance. Experts warn that the low cost and accessibility of AI tools allow candidates to generate inflammatory attack ads quickly, potentially leading to a significant increase in dark or violent imagery as the election cycle progresses.