Former South Australian (SA) Liberal opposition leader and member for Black, David Speirs, has come forward claiming that he is the victim of an artificial intelligence deepfake. Videos have surfaced allegedly showing him snorting white powder from a plate. Speirs, who resigned from his leadership position a month ago, vehemently denies being the person in the video.
The video and picture were initially published by News Corp and were said to be recorded at 4:12 a.m. on June 30 inside Speirs’ Adelaide kitchen. However, no source for the video was named, leading to claims that it arrived via a third party.
Speirs expressed his concern about the footage and stated that it was not him engaging in such behavior. He described it as “very troubling” and added, “I would never have done that. I’m quite horrified by that.”
When contacted for comment by The Epoch Times, Speirs did not provide any further information regarding the incident.
Vincent Tarzia, the current Liberal leader who took over after Speirs stepped down due to lack of energy for the role in August, emphasized that if this video is indeed a deepfake, it should be reported immediately. Tarzia stated that his party takes matters like these seriously but refrained from making any further comments until all facts are known.
South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas expressed concern about deepfakes in politics and their potential threat to democracy. He acknowledged AI-generated images and deepfakes as challenges that need to be confronted through legislation.
AI’s impact on politics is becoming increasingly apparent as technology advances. Independent Senator David Pocock recently called for a generative AI ban ahead of the next federal election after posting two fake videos generated by AI featuring prominent political figures advocating gambling bans to highlight how misinformation can spread through such means.
Earlier this year, European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell suggested Russia’s use of state-sponsored campaigns flooding voters with deceptive AI-driven content during elections.
As AI becomes more advanced, distinguishing reality from fake becomes increasingly difficult. Instances like a businessman being deceived by an AI video call with individuals he believed were his colleagues have prompted governments worldwide to consider stricter regulations surrounding this growing technology.
