Amul Faces Viral AI Image Hoax with Fake 'Sharam' Cheese Image

AI-generated content has become a rising concern not just in India, but all over the world as the technology has become easily accessible over the internet. A few weeks back, PM Narendra Modi expressed his concern over deepfake content when a fake video went viral of him playing garba.

India's milk product giant Amul has become the latest victim of AI-generated images. The company has issued a public warning citing a fake image of a cheese packet, which is being circulated on the internet as an Amul product. The image has also gone viral as a meme on Twitter, Instagram, and Reddit.

Amul Does Not Sell Sharam Cheese

The situation emerged when an image of Amul cheese was shared on the internet with the product name 'Sharam'. The photo was paired with the caption "Sharam naam ki bhi cheese hoti hai" which translates to "There exists a cheese called Sharam". The image quickly went viral as it relates to a popular Hindi taunt.

However, the product in the image had some text in what looked Arabic, which made some people believe that it was a real product by Amul being sold in Middle Eastern regions. Amul has now released a statement confirming that the image is fake, and is generated using AI.

The company does not sell any cheese product named Sharam. Amul has also requested people to create awareness on the same, as the viral post was spreading misinformation about the cheese products from the company.

Confronting the Misuse of AI in Generating Fake Content

While the entire situation appears funny and a moment to laugh about, it also makes us think about the potential misuse of AI-generated content. A single image was enough for a big brand like Amul to get worried, and it had to release a public statement to clarify the facts. AI is a double-edged sword and can be used in both good and evil ways. A few weeks back, a deepfake video of popular actress Rashmika Mandhana went viral. Her face was morphed onto someone else's body in the video.

The Government of India is also planning to take measures to counter deepfake content. Last month, India's Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw held a meeting with the top representatives of social media platforms and several experts in the field of AI to discuss measures to tackle deepfake content.

The advent of AI has brought with it incredible advancements, but as with any powerful technology, there comes a responsibility to ensure it's used ethically. The recent instance involving Amul highlights the necessity for consumers to remain vigilant and for companies to proactively protect their brand identity.