An AI-generated social media personality, known as "Bush Legend," has drawn attention for portraying an Indigenous Australian wildlife expert online. The character, with dark curls and brown eyes, appears in videos set in the Australian outback, featuring various wildlife. The account, created in October 2025, indicates it is based in New Zealand and has accumulated approximately 90,000 followers on Instagram and 96,000 on Facebook. The account states its focus is on building awareness and education about Australian wildlife.
Content Authenticity and Creator Information
All content presented by "Bush Legend," including the character and the animals, is generated by artificial intelligence. Guardian Australia attempted to contact the individual believed to have created the account, identified as a South African residing in New Zealand, but received no response. Earlier versions of the Bush Legend avatar depicted the character with white body paint, interpreted by some as mimicking ochre, and wearing a beaded necklace. The account previously shared AI-generated satirical news content before transitioning to wildlife.
Ethical and Cultural Concerns
The creation of an AI avatar resembling an Indigenous person has raised ethical concerns.
- Dr. Terri Janke, an expert in Indigenous cultural and intellectual property, described the content's realism as "remarkable" but expressed feeling "misled." Janke stated that such AI-generated content can be considered a form of theft, involving cultural harm, and disproportionately affects marginalized communities. She also highlighted that ethical AI use involving First Nations people requires their consent and involvement.
- Tamika Worrell, a senior lecturer in critical Indigenous studies at Macquarie University, characterized the AI avatar as a form of cultural appropriation and "digital blackface." Worrell noted the risks posed by the proliferation of AI tools without legislative safeguards, allowing cultural knowledge and visuals to be transmitted without consent. This includes potential misuse of images of deceased individuals or blending features from various people.
- Worrell also identified a twofold potential for harm: such accounts may default to presenting only "palatable" aspects of Indigenous culture, and they can amplify existing racism online. She observed that racist comments directed at the AI character mirror those experienced by real Indigenous individuals.
Broader Implications of AI
Toby Walsh, a professor of artificial intelligence at the University of New South Wales, explained that AI systems reproduce information and renderings based on large-scale datasets, which can contain inherent biases. This process risks perpetuating stereotypes if the training data is biased. Walsh also emphasized the increasing difficulty in distinguishing AI-generated content from real content, stating that it will soon be "next to impossible" for users to identify fakes.
The Bush Legend account has addressed criticism in a video, stating that the page does not seek to "represent any culture or group" and is "simply about animal stories." The video also noted that content is "free to watch" and suggested users "scroll on" if they dislike it, despite earlier instances where the account requested subscriptions.