Editorial: Tackling deepfake menace
Combating deepfakes requires a collaborative effort, one that involves open communication and proactive mitigation strategies
Like any technology tool, artificial intelligence (AI) is a double-edged weapon; it is transforming our lives in myriad positive ways at a pace never heard of in human history but at the same time its spin-off technologies have the potential to create chaos and tear apart societies. Deepfake, the digital alteration of videos to spread false and misleading information, is one such rogue application of AI that has become a major cause for concern across nations. The fears over the dangerous implications of this emerging technology are growing around the world following a series of deepfake videos involving film stars and other celebrities that took social media platforms by storm. The proliferation of online deepfake videos has surged by 550%, reaching a staggering 95,820, as revealed in the 2023 State of Deepfakes report by Home Security Heroes, a US-based organisation. The report identifies India as the sixth most susceptible country to this emerging threat. Against this backdrop, the Centre has sent an advisory, the second in as many months, to social media companies and media-sharing web services such as YouTube to ensure that deepfakes are not displayed to users in India and also sought an action taken report from them. Experts have pointed out that India lacks specific laws to address deepfakes and AI-related crimes, but provisions under several pieces of legislation under the IT Act could offer both civil and criminal relief. With no dedicated law on AI, identifying the originator of deepfakes and the first transmitter of deepfakes is a big challenge.
Deepfakes have the potential not just for personal injury, but to hurt national security and trust in institutions. It is widely suspected that Russia was using deepfakes last year to justify its invasion of Ukraine. It can also be used to impersonate friends or loved ones to trick individuals into sending money to scammers. The morphing tools can be used to commit crimes, harm reputations, influence polls and undermine trust in democratic institutions. Cybercriminals use facial mapping technologies to create an accurate facial symmetry dataset. They then use AI to swap the face of a person onto the face of another person. Voice matching technology is also used to accurately copy the user’s voice. There is no silver bullet to combat deepfakes and AI-generated misinformation. It requires a collaborative effort, one that involves open communication, rigorous risk assessment and proactive mitigation strategies. The time has come for India to take more effective action in terms of legal provisions on deepfakes. Google, one of the largest tech companies in the world, has promised to work with the Indian government to address the safety and security risks posed by deepfake and disinformation campaigns. While solutions must be found to counter the misuse of technology tools, the overreach of state authorities and invasion of privacy should be avoided.
