AI-Generated Deepfakes of Bollywood Stars Criticizing PM Modi Go Viral Ahead of India’s Elections

The 30-second video showing Aamir Khan and another 41-second clip of Ranveer Singh purportedly depict the actors saying Modi failed to keep campaign promises and address critical economic issues during his two terms as prime minister.

By
Special Correspondent
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X: @the_news_21

In fake videos that have gone viral online, two of India’s A-list Bollywood actors, Aamir Khan and Ranveer Singh, are seen criticizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and asking people to vote for the opposition Congress party in the country’s ongoing general election.

The 30-second video showing Aamir Khan and another 41-second clip of Ranveer Singh purportedly depict the actors saying Modi failed to keep campaign promises and address critical economic issues during his two terms as prime minister. Both AI-generated videos end with the Congress election symbol and slogan: “Vote for Justice, Vote for Congress”.

The two videos have been viewed on social media more than half a million times since last week, underscoring the potential role such AI (artificial intelligence)-generated content, or deepfakes, can play in India’s mammoth election that started on April 16 and will continue until June 10.

While campaigning in India has traditionally focused on door-to-door outreach and public rallies, this year’s polls mark the first general election in which AI is being deployed. The spread of these fake videos highlights concerns around the misuse of AI for election misinformation and manipulation.

Aamir Khan has said he is “alarmed” by the viral “fake” video, while Ranveer Singh’s team is looking into the matter, according to a spokesperson for both actors. Singh warned his followers on Twitter (now X) on Friday, saying: “Beware of deepfakes, friends”.

Both actors have confirmed the videos are fake, and major social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and at least eight fact-checking websites have also labeled them as altered or manipulated.

A Congress party spokesperson, Sujata Paul, had shared Singh’s video with her 16,000 followers on X on April 17, garnering over 2,900 reshares, 8,700 likes, and 438,000 views before the post was taken down on Sunday after Reuters flagged it.

While some versions of the videos have been blocked, at least 14 were still visible on X, and one on Facebook as of Saturday. Reuters could not ascertain who created the videos, and PM Modi’s office and the IT head of his Bharatiya Janata Party did not respond to requests for comment.

With nearly 900 million internet users in India, and the average Indian spending over three hours a day on social media according to a survey, the potential reach of such AI-generated misinformation is vast, raising concerns about its impact on the country’s ongoing elections with nearly one billion voters.

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