New Delhi – Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai Bachchan won a major legal battle to protect her name and image. On Thursday, the Delhi High Court ruled that no one can misuse her identity, particularly through new technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), deepfakes and facial morphing.
Judge Tejas Kalia, who issued the order, said that using Aishwarya's name, photographs or caricatures without her permission is not only about money, but also about her dignity and reputation.
The court said such misuse could mislead people to believe that she would support or promote a particular product or service when she actually doesn't.
The court has made it clear that everyone has “moral rights.” This means that individuals, especially public figures, have control over how their name, face, and personal identity is used.
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In that order, the High Court has restrained several unknown parties, unknown, to use Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's name, initials “ARB”, photographs, or digital similarities for personal or commercial interests.
Orders also apply to content that is already circulating online. The court has directed Google LLC to remove all links (URLs) listed in the case within 72 hours.
Why Aishwarya Rai went to court
The actress was approaching the High Court after the online platform began a cycle of AI-generated content that misused her identity, including pornographic material. She claimed that such behavior caused her emotional distress. Additionally, they risk damaging her reputation and incorrectly linking her to something she has nothing to do with.
Aishwarya is not the first celebrity to face such a problem. Many public figures around the world complain about the misuse of their identity. Concerns have risen, especially after the rise of Deepfake and the rise of AI technology.
Recently, her husband, Abhishek Bachchan, also arrived at court.
