Headshot of Cory Alpert

Cory Alpert

PhD candidate, School of Social and Political Sciences, Faculty of Arts, University of Melbourne

Politics & Society

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AI propaganda memes are the unexpected frontline of Trump's war with Iran

As Iran floods social media with AI-generated Lego memes mocking Trump, it's a sign that a new propaganda war is rewriting the rules of truth itself

Politics & Society

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Opinion

The US Supreme Court has curtailed what Trump can do in the world

While the world's attention is focused on Iran, back in Washington, a US Supreme Court ruling is quietly stripping Trump of one of his most powerful foreign policy tools

Politics & Society

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Opinion

Why Silicon Valley stopped fighting the state and joined it

Tech giants once opposed government power. Now they're copying China's model of corporate-state partnership

Politics & Society

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Analysis

What Zohran Mamdani’s election win in New York City tells us about the US

More than a month into a government shutdown and with 42 million Americans losing food assistance – focusing the cost-of-living crisis is getting Democrats elected

Politics & Society

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Opinion

US uncertainty has left key countries rethinking their Trump ties

China’s summit was more than just diplomatic theatre, but rather a carefully curated message about Beijing’s influence amid intensifying geopolitical uncertainty

Politics & Society

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Opinion

‘Just two men meeting for reasons that have little to do with ending a war’

Although Trump says Putin will face “very severe consequences” if no Ukraine truce is agreed, it’s unlikely the meeting will result in decisive agreement

Arts & Culture

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Analysis

‘We can’t tell if we’re being persuaded by a person or a program’

When researchers secretly used AI bots on Reddit to study how AI can influence human opinion it became a landmark moment for research ethics

Politics & Society

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Opinion

Like Canada, Australia has rejected Trump’s disruption

Many Australians saw this Federal election as a referendum on the country’s future in a world re-shaped by Donald Trump. Labor’s confident win is a data point in a global realignment

Politics & Society

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Opinion

Is the US Government handing its tariff decision making to AI?

There are big risks in replacing experts with AI to make decisions on global trade, and we may be about to find out what can go wrong

Politics & Society

This election is a test of how AI-driven information could shape Australia’s democracy

Australia is one of the most online electorates in the world. And in 2025, AI-driven algorithms are now shaping much of what we see and know about our elections