AI-Morphed Images of Actresses Rashmika Mandanna and Katrina Kaif Ignite Concerns and Calls for Regulation of Deepfake Technology

Deepfake videos of Bollywood actresses Rashmika Mandanna and Katrina Kaif circulate online, prompting outcry from Indian officials and public, as misinformation and violations of personal rights become more prevalent with AI advancements.

Deepfake images and videos of Indian actresses Rashmika Mandanna and Katrina Kaif have gone viral, triggering concerns about the misuse of AI and sparking demands for regulations.
The misused technology allows faces to be morphed and replaced in videos and pictures, a phenomenon increasingly used in non-consensual pornography, often targeting women. A study by Dutch AI company Sensity cites that 96% of deepfake videos are used this way.
Rashmika Mandanna expressed her distress and concern over the incident, urging that this misuse of technology needs to be addressed urgently to protect individuals from identity theft and harm.
Information Technology Minister, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, signaled that the government sees deepfakes as a dangerous form of misinformation, which should be handled by the platforms themselves. He referred to the IT rules stating that it is a legal obligation for platforms to ensure no misinformation is posted and that such posts be removed within 36 hours when reported.
In response to these incidents, the Centre asked all social media platforms, including X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook, to remove morphed images within 24 hours of receiving a complaint, under the IT rules.
The misuse of deepfake technology continues to be a global issue, with the UK AI Safety Summit recently resulting in 28 nations joining a global regulatory framework called the Bletchley Declaration, which seeks to regulate technology from the perspective of harm.