PM Modi flags concerns over deepfakes, cautions about AI misuse

Amid actor Rashmika Mandanna's deepfake video row, Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised "big concerns" over deepfakes and misuse of artificial intelligence for creating such videos.

While speaking to journalists at Bharatiya Janata's Diwali Milan programme in New Delhi, Modi said that the media should educate people regarding such "deepfakes".

Deepfakes are made when a person in an existing image or video is replaced with someone else's likeness using technology like artificial intelligence, mostly to promote fake news.

Modi flagged concerns after Mandanna's 'deepfake' video suspected to be developed using AI technology went viral on social media. The original video featured a British Indian girl.

"I recently saw a video in which I was seen singing a Garba song. There are many other such videos online," said Modi adding it has become a great concern and can create a lot of problems for everyone.

Modi said that he has asked the ChatGPT team to flag deepfakes and issue a warning when such videos are circulated on the internet, reported NDTV.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology last week issued an advisory to social media platforms, underlining the legal provisions that cover such deepfakes.

Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar had said that it is a "legal obligation" for online platforms to prevent the spread of misinformation.

Earlier, taking to X, Chandrasekhar said "deepfakes are the latest and a more dangerous and damaging form of misinformation".

"Remove any such content when reported within 36 hours of such reporting and ensure expeditious action, well within the time frames stipulated under the IT Rules 2021, and disable access to the content or information," the statement from the IT department read.

The Centre has imposed strong penalty of Rs 1 lakh fine and three years in jail for those creating and circulating deepfakes.