AI-generated deepfake of Australian PM sparks misinformation after Bondi Beach attack
A deepfake video created using AI spread on social media after a December 14, 2025 attack at Bondi Beach, falsely depicting Australian PM Anthony Albanese announcing visa cancellations for Pakistani citizens. Fact-checkers confirmed the video repurposed footage from an August 2022 climate change speech, with AI tools detecting the audio was synthetically generated.
What happened
Following a shooting at a Hanukkah event at Sydney's Bondi Beach on December 14, 2025, a video went viral on social media on December 16, 2025, purporting to show Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese identifying the attacker as Pakistani and announcing the cancellation of visas for all Pakistani citizens.
The video was shared by Facebook user 'Ek Aur Inqilab' with a caption linking the supposed policy decision to the attack and making inflammatory claims about an ethnic group in India.
Reported impact
The deepfake video spread on social media platforms during a period of high public attention following a mass casualty incident, potentially influencing public perception and discourse about the incident and affected populations.
Index analysis
Vishvas News investigation revealed the video was a deepfake created using AI, with the original footage dating from August 3, 2022, when Prime Minister Albanese announced a climate change agreement with the Greens Party.
The Hive Moderation AI detection tool indicated over 99% probability the video was AI-generated. HIYA's audio detector and Aurigin.ai's deepfake detection engine both indicated over 99% probability that the audio track was AI-generated.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.