India takes robust stand at AI-generated content material, deepfakes forward of polls

New Delhi, Apr 06: As Microsoft warned India about China’s plan to create and amplify AI-generated content material to “profit its pursuits” amid the seven-phase elections beginning April 19, the Centre has come down closely on world digital corporations, asking them to repair their platforms as a part of a brand new advisory round AI and its potential misuse throughout polls.

With main elections going down around the globe this 12 months, notably in India, South Korea and the US: “We assess that China will, at a minimal, create and amplify AI-generated content material to profit its pursuits,” in accordance with Clint Watts, Common Supervisor, Microsoft Menace Evaluation Middle.

Based on publicity administration firm Tenable, misinformation unfold by AI-generated deepfakes and pretend content material are the largest menace to the upcoming polls.

“The most important threats to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections are misinformation and disinformation as a part of affect operations carried out by malicious actors towards the voters,” Satnam Narang, Senior Workers Analysis Engineer, Tenable, instructed IANS lately.

Alarmed at AI’s potential misuse, the Centre final month mentioned that social media intermediaries “should not allow any bias or discrimination or threaten the integrity of the electoral course of.”

A brand new IT Ministry advisory now particularly offers with AI, which says that digital platforms need to take full accountability and can’t escape by saying that these AI fashions are within the “under-testing part.”

“It’s reiterated that non-compliance to the provisions of the IT Act and/or IT Guidelines would lead to potential penal penalties to the intermediaries or platforms or its customers when recognized, together with however not restricted to prosecution underneath IT Act and a number of other different statutes of the prison code,” in accordance with the advisory.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a dialog with Microsoft Co-founder Invoice Gates late final month, additionally expressed issues about deepfakes in a democratic nation like ours.

“I’ve engaged with main minds on AI and its dangers. I instructed that we should always begin with clear watermarks on AI-generated content material to forestall misinformation. Correct sources of AI-generated content material also needs to be talked about,” PM Modi emphasised.

“Somebody may even misuse my voice to deceive folks and such a deepfake can set off widespread uproar. We’d like to consider creating strong dos and don’ts on deepfakes,” the Prime Minister instructed the billionaire philanthropist.