As India gears up for its monumental general election, a new player has emerged on the political stage: Artificial Intelligence. While traditional campaigning methods like door-to-door outreach and public rallies have long dominated the Indian political landscape, the advent of AI-driven technology is reshaping the battleground.
In a recent twist, deepfake videos featuring prominent Bollywood stars Aamir Khan and Ranveer Singh have set the internet abuzz. In these manipulated clips, the actors purportedly lambast Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s governance and endorse the opposition Congress party. Despite efforts by fact-checkers and social media platforms to flag these videos as manipulated content, they continue to circulate widely, sparking concerns about the influence of AI-generated misinformation in the electoral process.
The proliferation of these deepfakes underscores the evolving landscape of political communication in India, where social media platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook have become integral tools for campaigning. With an estimated 900 million internet users and nearly one billion voters in the country, the potential impact of AI-driven disinformation campaigns cannot be underestimated.
While political parties grapple with the implications of AI meddling in elections, law enforcement agencies are also stepping in. Mumbai police have launched an investigation into the creation and dissemination of the deepfake videos, signaling a growing recognition of the need to address digital deception in the electoral arena.
But deepfakes are not the only manifestation of AI’s influence in Indian politics. From AI-generated speeches by deceased politicians to virtual news anchors delivering politically charged messages, technology is reshaping the narrative landscape.
As the Indian electorate navigates this brave new world of AI-driven politics, questions of authenticity, accountability, and ethical use of technology loom large. With the stakes higher than ever, the battle for hearts and minds is increasingly being fought in the digital realm, where truth and fiction often blur.
