4 min readNov 18, 2023 04:01 PM IST
First published on: Nov 18, 2023 at 01:56 PM IST
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the dangers of “deepfake” content, emphasising the role of artificial intelligence in spreading fake news and misinformation. This concern comes on the heels of a deepfake AI-generated video featuring Indian actor Rashmika Mandanna. For me, as a 20-something woman glued to the internet and reliant on social media for her news consumption, this AI-led disruption is particularly unsettling.
The term “deepfake” entered our vocabulary through a series of unfortunate incidents concerning popular Bollywood actors. While the concept is relatively new and refers to the use of artificial intelligence to distort facts on the internet, gender-based violence and harassment are not new for women on the internet.
If till now, we were only coming to terms with the distortion of pictures on Photoshop, deepfakes allow users to manipulate media on a different level by creating realistic but entirely fabricated images or videos. The widespread sharing of AI-generated videos featuring well-known Indian actors raised several questions for me. It made me ponder whether public discussions on artificial intelligence were overly fixated on sensationalism rather than its misuse in privacy invasion, cybersecurity, or its positive contributions, such as early breast cancer detection. Additionally, I noticed that this marked the first instance of mainstream media delving into the impact of AI on our society.
What is disheartening is that this shift in discourse occurred through a viral video featuring popular female actors, laden with sensationalism and objectification. This underscored the unfortunate reality that sensationalism remains a marketable commodity, often weaponised against women.
This perspective is further strengthened by a recent report published by WIRED which reveals that AI firm Deeptrace found 15,000 deepfake videos online in September 2019, out of which 96 per cent were pornographic. These statistics underscore deeper issues including cyberviolence, which affect women disproportionately, not only causing them psychological harm and suffering but also deterring them from digital participation.
As we stand at the intersection of technological advancement and ethical responsibility, it becomes imperative to recognise how unregulated AI can wreak havoc, at both micro and macro levels. The issue is global and highlights the need for ethical guidelines, privacy protections, and oversight mechanisms to coexist with the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence. While it is heartening to see the Prime Minister actively observing and publicly highlighting the importance of collective vigilance in the digital age, what is equally important is the role of the media in raising awareness around the emergence of synthetic media without sensational reporting.
While governance reforms may take time, we all must work towards becoming vigilant and critical thinkers and active debunkers of false information and fake news online. The most urgent action we can take in this situation is to approach online content with a discerning eye, recognising the potential erosion of truth and the wildfire-like spread of misinformation in our interconnected world, which poses a threat to the very fabric of our digital society.
The writer is a tech and policy enthusiast currently working at the intersection of women’s health and artificial intelligence
The original video features a British Indian woman (right). Rashmika Mandanna’s (left) face is morphed onto it. 
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