Deepfakes Threaten to Distort Indian Elections as Technology Outpaces Regulation
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Deepfakes of Indian celebrities and politicians are circulating to try to influence voters in state and national elections. Prime Minister Modi has warned of an "AI arms race" threatening elections.
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The Indian government has issued advisories urging social media platforms and tech companies to curb unreliable AI models, but experts say regulating deepfakes is impossible.
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Over half of India's 1.4 billion population now has internet access, increasing vulnerability to online disinformation using deepfakes. The country ranked 6th most vulnerable globally.
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Political parties are increasingly using AI and outsourcing deepfakes for use in campaigns. The technology is evolving rapidly, outpacing detection tools.
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Former election commissioner S.Y. Quraishi says educating voters is the only tool available to combat disinformation, but warns deepfakes can spread "fake news as easy as pressing a button."