NRLW Star Jaime Chapman Slams Damaging AI Deepfakes
NRLW Star Speaks Out Against Deepfake Attacks
New South Wales Blues star Jaime Chapman has used social media to express her strong feelings about a recent deepfake AI attack where altered images of her were spread online. In an Instagram story, the 23 year old athlete described the incident as damaging. She directly addressed the individual or individuals responsible for creating and sharing these fake images.
Chapman shared an original image of herself that had been manipulated, alongside a peaceful beach photo. She conveyed a message wishing a good day to everyone except those who create fake AI photos of others. She urged them to consider the damaging impact such actions can have on individuals and their loved ones, emphasizing that this has occurred multiple times and must cease.
Chapman, who plays for the Gold Coast Titans in the NRLW, has been increasingly vocal about the problem of deepfakes in recent months.
Chapman's Career and Resilience
Jaime Chapman has an established career in the NRLW, having played for five seasons. Her journey began with the St George Illawarra Dragons. She then moved to the Brisbane Broncos for a year in 2022 before signing her current contract with the Gold Coast Titans.
The talented outside back has made five appearances for the New South Wales Blues, another five for the Indigenous All Stars, and has featured twice in the Prime Minister’s XIII.
Remarkably, Chapman returned for NSW for game one of the Women’s Ampol State of Origin series 2025. This comeback followed a serious injury, a fractured spine, which she sustained while playing for the Indigenous All-Stars earlier in the year. Speaking at a pre-game press conference, Chapman reassured everyone about her recovery, stating that her back was great and she could no longer feel it. She acknowledged that the diagnosis of a spine fracture sounded scarier than the reality, admitting she did initially freak out but was confident in her recovery.
During her game one Origin victory at Suncorp Stadium, Chapman was cheered on by her partner, Queensland star Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, also known as Hammer. She laughingly commented on the friendly rivalry, wondering how she would manage to get him into a Blues shirt.
The Dark Side of AI: Growing Concerns
Chapman’s comments bring to light the increasing concerns over the harmful use of artificial intelligence to create misleading and deceptive content. The ease with which deepfakes can be generated poses a significant threat to individuals' privacy and reputation.
Women's Rugby League on the Rise
This disturbing incident occurs as Women’s rugby league in Australia continues to achieve new heights. The Women’s State of Origin opener recently delivered impressive television audience figures, outperforming the men’s AFL free-to-air ratings in its standalone game in Brisbane this month.
Channel Nine’s broadcast of the first of three Origin games attracted a national Australian audience of 927,000. This made it the most watched rugby league match on the network for the year, despite a slight decrease from the previous year's 941,000 viewers.
In addition to its broadcasting success, the game saw a record breaking crowd of 26,022 fans pack into Suncorp Stadium, surpassing the previous high of 25,782.
A Call for a Longer NRLW Season
Jaime Chapman has also been vocal about her desire to see the NRLW expand and build on its current success. She expressed her strong hope for the NRLW to extend its season, ideally with teams playing each other twice. Chapman articulated a desire for a longer NRLW season that would allow players to concentrate solely on football without the need to maintain a second job. Her sentiment reflects a growing call for further professionalization and development within the women's league.
