Researchers warn AI is amplifying false alien claims about Aboriginal rock art
AI risks spreading false alien origin claims about 12,000-year-old Aboriginal rock art.
The Gwion Gwion figures in Western Australia's Kimberley region are about 12,000 years old, and the Wandjina paintings are up to 5,000 years old; both are among the world's oldest rock art. Aboriginal ancestors created them.
For over a century, false theories have claimed aliens or superior races painted them. Social media has spread these myths widely.
Countless accounts, some with tens of thousands of followers, now share the false claims. Researchers have warned that AI tools risk repeating these lies.
The AI absorbs false information from social media. Traditional owner Warren Barunga says the misuse of sacred paintings saddens and angers him.
ChatGPT currently gives accurate answers about the art's Aboriginal origins. But researchers say that could change.
If AI systems absorb enough false information, the answers might shift.
- About 12,000 years old
- Gwion Gwion age
- Up to 5,000 years old
- Wandjina age
- Kimberley, Western Australia
- Location
- Warren Barunga, Worrorra man
- Traditional owner
Why it mattersIf AI systems start repeating false alien origin stories, they could harm scientific understanding and weaken Aboriginal historical knowledge, reaching millions of people worldwide.
AustraliaAboriginal Australians' cultural heritage is being misused and distorted online; AI-driven spread of these myths threatens to further marginalise Indigenous knowledge and history.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
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