The increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) and manipulated videos, also known as deepfakes, in political campaigns is currently causing a stir in India. Hard “Reuters“, two videos in which prominent Bollywood actors urged voters to vote against Prime Minister Narendra Modi sparked controversy on social media platforms last week.

Fake election videos spread quickly

In the fake video, Bollywood stars Aamir Khan and Ranveer Singh criticized the prime minister and urged voters to vote for the opposition Congress party. Reuters reports that the video has been viewed more than half a million times on social media platforms. Both actors have since denied appearing in the video.

The use of AI and deepfakes in political campaigns is not unique to India. AI-generated content is also increasingly being used for political purposes in other countries, including the United States, Pakistan and Indonesia.

Party spokespeople ignore falsehoods: placing creativity above truth

Sujata Paul, Congress party spokesperson, shared the fake video of Singh on her social media page. He told Reuters he knew the video was flagged as doctored but still didn't want to take it down because when he posted it, he thought the actor looked like Singh and “certainly showed creativity.” After Reuters attempted to comment on the issue, the post was no longer visible.

The fake video has sparked a police investigation. Aamir Khan has filed a complaint of identity theft and fraud. Mumbai Police said it had asked Facebook and other platforms to remove the fake video. The use of AI for other purposes in election campaigns is also widespread in India. For example, according to Reuters, Congress leader Vijay Vasanth's team used AI to create an audio-video message in which the late politician's father asked for votes for his son.

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