Full Breakdown
Fringe Claims About Kimberley Rock Art Face New AI-Driven Threat
By Drooid · · How we work
The Core Issue: Mis-attributed Origins of Sacred Paintings
Traditional owner Warren Barunga, director of the Dambimangari Aboriginal Corporation, says social-media accounts repeatedly claim that the ancient Gwion Gwion and Wandjina figures of the Kimberley region were created by “a different or ‘superior’ race” or even extraterrestrials. The paintings—about 12,000 years old for Gwion Gwion and up to 5,000 years old for Wandjina—are central to the cultural heritage of the Worrorra people and the broader Wanjina Wunggurr community. Barunga stresses that such misinterpretations “sadens” and “angers” him, as they detach Indigenous peoples from their ancestors.
Historical Roots of the Pseudoarchaeology
The notion that the Kimberley figures have non-Aboriginal origins dates back to the 19th century and resurfaced in the 1990s amid native-title debates. Amateur archaeologist Grahame Walsh first suggested a pre-Aboriginal group painted them. Swiss author Erich von Däniken’s 1968 bestseller *Chariots of the Gods?* popularised the idea that ancient artworks worldwide were evidence of alien visitation, a theme later echoed by former Liberal Democratic Party senator David Leyonhjelm in 2015 when he cited the Gwion Gwion to argue against constitutional recognition of Aboriginal peoples.
Academic Concerns About AI Amplifying Fringe Narratives
Researchers from several Australian universities, led by Dr Michelle Richards of the University of Melbourne, examined how “pseudoarchaeology” spreads online. Their study, published in *Australian Archaeology*, warns that AI tools such as ChatGPT can absorb and reproduce fringe claims, potentially giving them mainstream credibility. When asked about the paintings, ChatGPT initially responded that they were “most likely” created by Aboriginal ancestors, but the answer varied with question phrasing. The researchers found ChatGPT’s replies were “largely non-harmful,” yet Richards cautions that the technology’s influence on public understanding of the past must be monitored.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I think we still have a chance to stay on top of it, but we do have to pay attention.” — Richards, a University of Melbourne archaeologist