Advertisement
India’s politics becomes an AI arms race as deepfakes threaten elections – and the risks are being felt globally
- The emergence of generative AI has left governments around the world scrambling to legislate against the risks posed by the fast-evolving technology
- But India is especially vulnerable, with deepfakes already swaying voters in recent state polls – as experts warn the spread may be impossible to stop
Reading Time:6 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
2
![Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi sounded a warning about the “worrying” spread of AI after deepfakes emerged showing him performing a folk dance and singing pop songs in regional languages. Photo: AP](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/1020x680/public/d8/images/canvas/2024/03/14/0c5d29a2-2b96-432e-8e79-9df2e9fb2215_6e3edd9c.jpg?itok=-NdtiP_1&v=1710429486)
As India gears up for its next general election, artificial intelligence has opened a new front among rival parties, with political observers warning that existing regulations cannot keep pace with fast-evolving technologies such as deepfakes.
Advertisement
The shift away from traditional campaigning towards using AI to win votes could already be seen late last year when local polls were held in a number of major Indian states.
In Telengana, an AI-generated video supposedly showing the leader of the former ruling Bharat Rashtra Samiti party, KT Rama Rao, endorsing opposition party Congress sparked a major controversy after it was watched more than half a million times on Congress’ official X account.
Rao’s party ultimately lost the election, with Congress going on to form a new state government.
![Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan. Deepfakes featuring his likeness circulated on social media last year attempting to sway voters in state elections. Photo: AFP Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan. Deepfakes featuring his likeness circulated on social media last year attempting to sway voters in state elections. Photo: AFP](https://img.i-scmp.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2024/03/14/96efe696-146f-4815-843e-23a36b46b180_e588855b.jpg)
Deepfakes have also emerged featuring Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan, host of Kaun Banega Crorepati – the Hindi-language version of television game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
![](https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/_next/static/media/wheel-on-gray.af4a55f9.gif)
Advertisement