At the Diwali Milan programme at the BJP headquarters, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep concern over the potential misuse of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and, specifically, deepfake technology in a country as diverse and expansive as India.
The Prime Minister highlighted the rapid dissemination of disinformation facilitated by these technologies, urging the media to play a crucial role in educating the public about their capabilities and associated risks.
During the address, Prime Minister Modi underscored the transformative power of technology and social media and the need for vigilance in the face of evolving challenges.
“…the effect of the fast-changing technological landscape has touched upon existing systems. Due to Artificial Intelligence and especially because of deepfake technology, a new crisis has emerged. A section of India is such that it does not have the means necessary for verification or to authenticate… People can fall prey to believing what they see to be true… and this will lead us towards a major crisis,” Prime Minister Modi stated.
Expressing his personal concern over the misuse of deepfake technology, he said that he had already taken up the matter with representatives of ChatGPT, a global AI behemoth. He suggested that deepfake videos should carry disclaimers to identify them as such, drawing a parallel to health warnings on cigarette packages.
“…you can create whatever you wish. I just saw a video where I was doing garba; I was impressed by the video… despite the fact that I haven’t done it since I was in school – I was very good at it… but I never got the opportunity to do it afterwards… this video has been made with the power of Artificial Intelligence… even those who love me are forwarding it,” he said,
In discussions with ChatGPT representatives, Prime Minister Modi stressed the importance of responsible use of AI and proposed that a disclaimer indicating “This is a deepfake” should accompany such content.
“I told them that just like cigarettes carry warnings – that they are hazardous for health – whoever uses ChatGPT or AI like this… that should bear… ‘This is a deepfake’… then you enjoy it, do whatever you wish to… They said that this is their worry too… that they have created this, but how will this stop,” he added.
