AI fakes raise election risks as lawmakers and tech companies scramble to catch up
NPR Online NewsFeb 08
India Elections: Bollywood Stars Targeted in Deepfakes
The Facts
In India, deepfake videos in which two Bollywood stars are seen criticizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and asking people to vote for the opposition have gone viral online since last week, prompting worries about the role artificial intelligence (AI) can play in the elections.
On Monday, Indian actor Ranveer Singh filed a complaint and First Information Report with the Mumbai Police's Cyber Crime Cell as a 41-second video of him at a fashion show in Varanasi was edited with fake audio.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Online disinformation has long been a factor influencing the outcome of elections around the world. However, deepfakes may prove to be a game changer for democracies — particularly at the local level, as the collapse of local journalism makes it harder to check information and debunk false content.
Establishment-critical narrative
While AI has facilitated the spread of disinformation, the effect of such campaigns on influencing votes is less than typically assumed—especially in highly polarized environments. While AI can contribute to distrust in election results, overreacting with panic and alarmism about this technology can produce the same or an even worse outcome.
Nerd narrative
There's an 80% chance that a politician will claim they lost a major election due to a "deepfake" image, video, or audio recording in a G20 country before 2025, according to the Metaculus prediction community.