After a spate in deepfake videos targetting celebrities, Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised concern over the use of artificial intelligence for creating deepfakes, saying this can lead to a big crisis.
He urged the media to spread awareness about its misuse and impact to educate people.
“In a diverse society like ours, deepfakes can cause a big crisis and even stoke the fire of disaffection in the society as people generally trust anything associated with the media in the same way anyone clad in ‘gerua’ (saffron) tends to get respect from others. A new crisis is emerging due to deepfakes produced through artificial intelligence,” the prime minister told journalists at a BJP event.
Deepfake videos are synthetic media in which a person in an existing image or video is replaced with someone else’s likeness.
The PM noted that earlier a movie with some controversial comments would come and go, but now it goes on to become a big issue. Even screening of such films becomes difficult on the ground that they have disrespected some section of society irrespective of the huge amount of money spent on making them, he noted.
“…the effect of the fast-changing technological landscape has touched upon existing systems. Due to Artificial Intelligence and especially because of deepfake (technology), a new crisis has emerged. A significant section of Bharat is such that it does not have the means necessary for verification or to authenticate… People can fall prey to believing what they see to be true… and this will lead us towards a major crisis,” he said.
He said he had suggested that deepfake videos carry disclaimers identifying them as such.
“…you can create whatever you wish through it. I just saw a video where I was doing garba; even I was impressed at how well it has been made… despite the fact that I haven’t done it since I was in school – I was very good at it… but I never got the opportunity to do it afterwards… but this video has been made now with the power of Artificial Intelligence… even those who feel affectionate towards me are forwarding it,” he said.
“I don’t want to cite examples of others. That is why I gave my own example… this is a matter of worry… (for) a society like ours, which is full of diversity… When representatives from ChatGPT met me to discuss the way forward regarding this subject (AI)… I told them that just like cigarettes carry warnings – that they are hazardous for health – whoever uses ChatGPT or AI like this… that should bear… ‘This is a deepfake’… then you enjoy it, do whatever you wish to… They said that this is their worry too… that they have created this, but how will this stop,” he said.
Also Read: Producer Kevin Turen, Behind ‘Euphoria’ And ‘The Idol,’ Passes Away At 44
