PM Modi says deepfakes are a matter of serious concern, warns they can lead to a ‘big crisis’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday that deepfakes have become a matter of serious concern for the country and that there was a need to educate people on what their impacts could be.

Deepfakes are techniques to manipulate audio and video content with the help of artificial intelligence software to show people saying or doing things that they never said or did. The content is made to appear as realistic as possible and is often used with malicious intent.

Deepfake content poses a new threat to an online ecosystem that already teems with fake photos created through editing software as well as misinformation and disinformation.

Modi, at an event in New Delhi on Friday, said that a large section of the population does not have the means to verify information. “This [deepfakes] can lead society towards a big crisis,” he said. “It can cause the fire of discontent to spread very quickly.”

The prime minister remarked that recently, he came across a deepfake video depicting him playing garba, a Gujarati folk dance. “I myself admired how well it was made,” he said. “But I never got the chance [to play garba] since my school days.”

Modi said he recently discussed the subject with a group of people who worked on ChatGPT,...

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