[Source: Reuters]
A fake video circulating online shows two top Indian Bollywood actors criticizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and urging people to vote for the opposition Congress party in the ongoing general election. ing.
In a 30-second video that shows another 41-second clip of Aamir Khan and Ranveer Singh, the two Bollywood actors say that Prime Minister Modi has not kept his election promises during his two terms as prime minister, and that he has failed to deliver on key economic issues. He is said to have claimed that he was unable to address the issue.
Both AI-generated videos end with the parliamentary election symbol and slogan, “Vote for Justice, Vote for Congress.”
The two videos have been viewed more than 500,000 times on social media since last week, according to a Reuters investigation.
These proliferations highlight the potential role such AI-generated content could play in India's massive elections, which begin on Friday and run through June. AI and AI-generated fakes, or deepfakes, are increasingly being used in elections in other parts of the world, including the United States, Pakistan, and Indonesia.
Election campaigns in India have long focused on door-to-door campaigning and public rallies, but 2019 saw widespread use of WhatsApp and Facebook as campaign tools.
This year's general election, in which Mr. Modi is expected to secure an unprecedented third term, will be the first time that AI will be used.
Congress spokesperson Sujata Paul shared a video of actor Singh with her 16,000 followers on X on April 17, and by Saturday afternoon, her post had been reshared 2,900 times and liked 8,700 times. '' and has been viewed 438,000 times.
Paul told Reuters he knew the video was marked as “manipulated media” by He told me over the phone that he didn't want to delete it because of his concerns. .
The post was made unavailable on X on Sunday, hours after Reuters sent a request for comment to parliament's social media director, who did not respond.
Both actors claimed the video was fake. Facebook, X and at least eight fact-checking websites have said they have been tampered with or manipulated, and Reuters' digital verification department has confirmed it.
