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

AI videos posted to social media claim to show Western Australia's north. (ABC Kimberley: Rachel Jackson)

AI-generated videos posted to social media are claiming to portray locations across Western Australia's north.

Tour operators say the videos misrepresent the Kimberley region, and threaten the preservation of Indigenous culture.

Experts say better regulation is needed to monitor and identify AI content across social media platforms.

Fictional retreats and freshwater crocodiles somehow sunbathing atop 50-metre-high cliffs are among the AI-generated images claiming to represent Western Australia's north.

The AI creations are being shared on social media, and tourism operators in the Kimberley region worry that they give the wrong impression of their home and culture.

On one such account, called Australia Hidden Gems, a video was posted claiming to show a Kimberley "cliffside retreat" that does not exist.

This AI-generated video claims to show the Kimberley's Devonian limestone reef, with "sunbathing crocodiles". (Sourced: Australia Hidden Gems)

Another video depicts "sunbathing freshwater crocodiles" atop the Kimberley's Devonian limestone reef, which, in reality, rises at least 50 metres above the water.

Kimberley tour operator Johani Mamid said the videos were misrepresenting the region.

"They were trying to replicate something like [the] Kimberley, but to me, they looked more American-style," he said.

A post claiming to show a Kimberley "cliffside retreat" has attracted more than 600,000 views. (Sourced: Australia Hidden Gems)

"You can see these crocodiles that didn't look real either … they look like they're all floating."

The Yawuru, Karrajarri, Nyul Nyul and Bardi man has experimented with AI tools to create content for his business, but said artificial portrayals of land or culture should not be presented as authentic.

Johani Mamid says the videos do not accurately portray the Kimberley region. (Supplied: Johani Mamid)

A WA Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions spokesperson said visitors were encouraged to refer to official sources, including the Explore Parks WA website and Facebook page.

"By using reliable information and planning ahead, park visitors can experience the real beauty of the region safely and responsibly," they said.

An AI-generated post details history about pearling history around Broome and the Torres Strait. (Sourced: Aussie AI Lens)

Another video shared by a separate account, Aussie AI Lens, shows an AI-generated avatar impersonating an Indigenous person.

The avatar and voice over describ