AI videos spread 'wrong impression' of WA's north, tourism operators say - Australian…

AI-generated videos are spreading online, falsely depicting Western Australia's Kimberley region and raising concerns among tourism operators. The videos, shared on social media, present inaccurate portrayals of the region's landscapes and culture.

What happened

One video posted on an account called Australia Hidden Gems, claimed to show a non-existent Kimberley "cliffside retreat" and garnered over 600,000 views. Another video depicted "sunbathing freshwater crocodiles" atop the Kimberley's Devonian limestone reef, which rises at least 50 meters above the water. An additional video shared by Aussie AI Lens, featured an AI-generated avatar impersonating an Indigenous person discussing pearling history, which was criticized for inaccuracies and misrepresentation of the harsh conditions faced by Indigenous divers. Tourism operators have expressed concern that these videos could mislead people who have never visited the Kimberley region, and that AI content poses a threat to preserving Indigenous culture and language.