– India’s 2024 general election is being transformed by the rise of AI intelligence and deep fake content
– Prominent figure in India’s ‘deep fake industry’ is Divyendra Singh Jadoun, creating hyper-realistic videos for political campaigns
– Deep fakes are becoming more common in India, including both positive and malicious political content, with little government oversight and regulation
India’s 2024 general election, with over 960 million eligible voters, is being impacted by the rise of AI intelligence and hyper-realistic deep fake content. Tech-savvy political operatives like Divyendra Singh Jadoun are using AI to create synthetic media for political and commercial purposes. Jadoun has quickly become a key player in India’s ‘deep fake industry’, creating realistic videos of politicians like Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
AI-generated election campaigns allow for hyper-personalized interactions with voters at an affordable cost. This personalized approach is reaching voters through their phones and is heavily reliant on AI-generated material. However, the introduction of technology to a digitally inexperienced population in India has made people susceptible to deceptive content, especially deep fakes.
Instances of malicious political deep fakes are becoming more common in India, with examples like a deep fake livestream showing a long-dead figure giving a political speech. Deep fake videos of Bollywood stars endorsing political parties have also gone viral, prompting police complaints. The government has offered little oversight, outsourcing content moderation to social media platforms.
India’s lack of regulation on AI poses a threat to the integrity of the election process, as misinformation can spread quickly through social media. The government has implemented some measures, such as requiring approval for unreliable AI tools, but comprehensive rules are still lacking. As the former election commissioner warns, rumors in the age of social media can have destabilizing effects on a country.