The above face may seem familiar. Like an old friend. This 'Bush Legend' have gained a massive following on social media, but he, or should write 'it', is all ones and zeros. The so called bush legend, is a sham. An AI creation.
Issues like this go beyond cultural appropriation or misrepresentation; they also raise serious questions about access, opportunity, and equity. When AI-generated or non-Indigenous creators build large audiences by adopting Aboriginal aesthetics, voices, or identities, they are not just borrowing culture; they are occupying space that could otherwise support real Aboriginal people telling their own stories.
For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander creators trying to start an online show, share cultural knowledge, or build a following, the barriers are already significant. Limited access to funding, equipment, networks, and algorithmic visibility means that growing an audience often requires far more effort and risk.
Competing with massively established channels. Backed by monetisation, production teams, or viral amplification is difficult enough without also having to compete against fabricated Indigenous identities designed for mass appeal, thanks to AI.
When audiences choose AI-generated or non-Indigenous portrayals over real Aboriginal voices, it reinforces an uneven playing field where authenticity is overshadowed by spectacle. Algorithms reward scale, consistency, and engagement, not cultural authority or lived experience.
The result is that Aboriginal creators can be pushed further to the margins, while others profit from representations that were never theirs to claim.
True reconciliation demands more than calling out inappropriate representations after the fact. It requires actively making space for Aboriginal voices, supporting Indigenous-led content, and recognising that representation without opportunity is hollow.
If we want to see Aboriginal stories flourish online, we must ask not just who is being seen, but who is being crowded out, and who benefits when authenticity is replaced with imitation.
Not only that, outdated and harmful stereotypes about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, such as the belief that Aboriginal people do not work, rely on welfare, or lack ambition, continue to circulate in public discourse. These narratives persist not because they are true, but because many Australians are rarely exposed to the breadth of Aboriginal excellence, enterprise, and leadership.
Ironically, those who still hold these views should be among the strongest supporters of ending cultural appropriation and inauthentic representation.
When Aboriginal stories, voices, and creative spaces are occupied by non-Indigenous or AI-generated stand-ins, real opportunities for Aboriginal people to be seen, heard, and economically supported are diminished. That loss of opportunity directly reinforces the very stereotypes critics claim to oppose.
Creating space for Aboriginal creators to lead in media, education, entertainment, and online platforms means more Aboriginal people are visibly working, innovating, teaching, and building businesses. That visibility matters. Employment, entrepreneurship, and cultural leadership are among the most effective ways to dismantle stereotypes that have been entrenched through decades of exclusion.
If we are serious about challenging outdated narratives, then the solution is not to dismiss concerns about cultural appropriation as “political correctness,” but to recognise them as practical steps toward equity. Supporting Aboriginal-led content, rejecting imitation in favour of authenticity, and ensuring Aboriginal people benefit directly from their cultures are all ways to help replace myth with reality.
Reconciliation is not only about correcting the record of the past, but it is also about shaping a future.