AI Disinformation Threatens Indigenous Taiwanese Voices on Social Media

In an increasingly digital world, Taiwan’s Indigenous peoples continue to face challenges of representation and identity, especially as artificial intelligence and social media reshape public discourse. Recent examples of disinformation campaigns targeting Indigenous communities highlight the urgent need for protective measures and more inclusive technological development.

The Taiwan FactCheck Center (TFC), a non-profit organization established in 2018, has documented several concerning cases of disinformation related to Indigenous peoples. These instances reveal a troubling pattern of cultural misrepresentation and identity manipulation.

One particularly alarming case involved a fabricated statement allegedly from “a member of the Plains Indigenous Peoples.” The statement falsely claimed that Japanese forces had fought alongside pro-Japanese Taiwanese against the Chinese Nationalist government during the 1947 “228 incident.” According to this disinformation, Japanese descendants later became influential Taiwanese politicians in the Democratic Progressive Party, carrying out a “secret mission to save Japan.”

Taiwan FactCheck Center researcher Dr. Wei-Ping Li found the statement “fabricated data and twisted historical events” while “misrepresenting recent events to provoke hatred towards Taiwanese and Japanese people.” The false claim was attributed to “a military student,” potentially an Indigenous person, as Indigenous peoples comprise a disproportionately high percentage of Taiwan’s military forces, particularly in elite units.

In another troubling example, a Twitter account circulated fabricated news accusing the Taiwanese government of violently attacking Indigenous communities. The account posted videos allegedly showing the government bombing Indigenous settlements, using police forces against Indigenous peoples, and destroying their homes. In reality, these videos depicted riots in the Solomon Islands from November 2021, sparked by that country’s decision to switch diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China.

A third example involved the circulation of a video falsely presented as a “Taiwan Indigenous Tap Dance Troupe” preparing for a world tour. The footage actually showed the cultural expressions of the Hani people, an ethnic minority in China’s Yunnan province, rather than authentic representations of Taiwan’s Indigenous peoples.

These cases of disinformation are particularly concerning given the historical context of Indigenous cultural erasure in Taiwan. Successive generations of colonization and government policies have already contributed to the fading of Indigenous cultural expressions and identities. Disinformation and AI-generated media that misrepresent Indigenous peoples create further obstacles for accurate cultural preservation and transmission.

Even when not created maliciously, AI-generated content often reproduces cultural biases that reinforce misunderstandings about Indigenous peoples. A recent incident involved an AI-generated image claimed to depict members of Taiwan’s Kanakanavu people, which was published by a major Taiwanese news outlet. The image actually portrayed Indigenous peoples of Southeast Asian island nations rather than authentically reflecting the Kanakanavu people, sparking considerable dissatisfaction within the Indigenous communities.

While Taiwan has focused on using AI for Indigenous language revitalization and preservation, comprehensive policies addressing Indigenous representation in the AI era remain underdeveloped. International models like Stanford University’s “Digital Strength Initiative” or Canada’s inclusion of “Indigenous Perspectives in AI” courses could serve as valuable references for Taiwan.

Moving forward, key policy questions need consideration: How might AI and social media influence Indigenous communities’ cultural preservation and identity construction? Could these technologies also serve as tools to resist assimilation pressures? How can marginalized communities leverage these technologies to redefine their identities and challenge dominant narratives? Can social media foster collective action among marginalized communities globally?

Without proactive measures, Taiwan risks allowing external forces to manipulate national and ethnic identities through distorted history and falsified events. Effective policy approaches must include Indigenous communities in developing solutions that ensure they maintain agency over their own representation in the digital age.

Reimagining the future requires creating mechanisms that enable marginalized communities not only to use these technologies but to actively participate in their development and application. The goal should extend beyond adapting to technological advancements to using these tools for creating more equitable futures for Indigenous peoples and other marginalized communities.