ABSTRACT

An AI-generated illustration published by the Herald Sun depicting Victorian Premier Ben Carroll prompted renewed concern among Australian cartoonists about the growing use of artificial intelligence in media, with industry figures, union representatives, and academics calling for greater transparency and job protections.

ABC News Australia

Australian cartoonists express concern over AI-generated illustrations appearing in newspapers

Aug 12, 2026, 10:45 PM

Context

The Herald Sun, a News Corp publication, published the AI-generated illustration alongside an article about Premier Ben Carroll. The image, which the publisher clearly labelled as AI-generated, showed Carroll with a pirate's leg scraping barnacles from a ship decorated with former Labor premiers Jacinta Allan and Daniel Andrews.

According to the ABC, News Corp has been using AI-generated illustrations for approximately two years. The company's code of conduct requires any image altered by digital tools, including AI, to be labelled accordingly, and mandates that the 'same editorial rigour and standards' be applied to AI-sourced content. The policy also states that AI content cannot be published without prior review and approval from an editor or editorial manager.

Cartoonist Fiona Katauskas, who has worked in the industry for more than 30 years, said she had observed more Australian newspapers using AI illustrations over the past year. She described the cartooning industry as having been 'shrinking dramatically for years.' She also said she was recently told her contract with Guardian Australia would not be renewed.

David Blumenstein, deputy president of the Australian Cartoonists Association, recently published a book on the use of AI in illustration. He said the trend had been growing since AI platforms became publicly available around 2022.

Several Australian media companies have developed or updated AI policies. The ABC launched an AI writing trial to produce digital news articles from radio bulletins and updated its AI guidelines earlier in 2025. Its current guidelines state it will be open with audiences when AI use 'could materially affect their understanding' of content, a narrower standard than a previous commitment to inform audiences about AI use more broadly.

Nine Publishing, which operates The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald, has a policy stating AI will not be used to generate photo-realistic images or illustrations for publication except where the AI-generated nature of the image is itself the story's subject. The policy permits AI-generated graphics with editor approval.

University of Melbourne senior lecturer Jeff Sparrow said AI was likely to be used as a rationale for job reductions and called on media unions to address the issue. He and Blumenstein both called for greater transparency about what AI tools are used and under what circumstances.

The Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) stated that editorial cartooning is a skilled profession requiring artistic ability, political understanding, and journalistic judgement, and said it could not be automated. The union body expressed concern that cartooning skills would be devalued as AI use expands.

All Perspectives

Cartoonist Fiona Katauskas: Katauskas described seeing AI illustrations in newspapers and on social media as feeling like a 'punch in the gut,' saying it represented AI taking someone's job. She also said AI-generated cartoons were aesthetically distinctive and easy to identify. She expressed concern that editors would use AI to fill space and that most readers would not notice. She said cartooning is a 'centuries-old art' she would love to see kept alive, and argued that art is about the process, not just the result.

Australian Cartoonists Association (David Blumenstein): Blumenstein said the use of AI-generated illustrations in newspapers was 'damaging for the cartooning and illustration industry,' though not surprising. He said the trend had grown steadily since AI platforms became publicly available around 2022. He said technology itself was not the issue and could be used ethically to assist artists, but that much current use was 'totally unethical.' His primary concern was that those who hire cartoonists might not care about the ethical dimensions.

Academic Jeff Sparrow, University of Melbourne: Sparrow said AI was likely to be used as a pretext for job shedding and called on media unions to treat it as a serious issue and make concerted efforts to protect workers. He also said journalists and the public needed to demand transparency about AI policies, including the platforms being used and the circumstances of their use.

Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA): The MEAA said editorial cartoons are an important part of Australia's media landscape, contributing to political commentary, satire, and public debate. It said professional cartooning requires complex and critical thinking and accountability, which 'cannot be automated,' and must be accountable to the Journalist Code of Ethics. The union body said it was concerned cartooning skills would be devalued and that the long-term success of Australia's media industry depended on supporting sustainable, skilled creative jobs.

ABC (acting news director Donna Field): In an internal email dated July 9, Field said AI 'only assists' journalism and content creation, and that it 'supports but does not replace editorial thinking and decision-making.' She stated that people would always be involved in production, with human oversight at every crucial step when AI is employed. An ABC spokesperson declined to comment directly for the story.

Nine Publishing: Nine's AI guidelines state that AI will not be used to generate photo-realistic images or illustrations for publication except where the AI-generated nature of the image is the point of the story. The policy permits AI-generated graphics with editor approval.

Position not represented in the source reporting: News Corp / Herald Sun; Guardian Australia.

Gaps & Unknowns

The Herald Sun and News Corp had not responded to requests for comment at the time of publication.
Guardian Australia had not responded to a request for comment at the time of publication.
The specific scope and frequency of News Corp's use of AI-generated illustrations across its publications is not detailed.
No information is provided about whether cartoonists' contracts at other outlets have been affected by AI adoption.
The article does not specify which other Australian newspapers Katauskas observed using AI illustrations.

Sources & Further Reading

ABC News Australia — original

Read the original at ABC News Australia

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