Indian Government to Implement Deepfake Countermeasures Within 10 Days: Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw

In a significant development, the Indian government has officially acknowledged the growing danger of deepfake technology to democracy. Last week, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his worry after viewing a deepfake video of himself dancing to garba.

Government Acknowledges the Threat of Deepfakes

The Indian Government has swiftly acknowledged the potential danger posed by artificial intelligence, particularly in the form of deepfakes. These manipulated videos, often indistinguishable from real footage, have become a major concern for the country.

To address this issue, India's Minister of Electronics and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, convened a meeting with key stakeholders, including representatives from social media platforms, AI companies, and AI experts.

Key Objectives Outlined

Minister Vaishnaw presented a four-point plan to address the growing problem of deepfakes. The plan focuses on identifying and preventing the spread of deepfakes, as well as creating a reporting platform and raising public awareness about the issue. The government hopes to finalize a comprehensive plan within the next 10 days.

Crucial Meeting Sets the Tone

The recent gathering was convened to explore the necessity of regulations and guidelines to limit the spread of unreasonable deepfakes. Minister Vaishnaw stressed the seriousness of the issue, asserting that deepfakes pose a serious danger to democracy, spreading quickly through social media without proper oversight.

"The use of social media is ensuring that deep fake can spread significantly, more rapidly. Without any checks, they are getting viral within a few minutes of their uploading. So that's why we need to take very urgent steps to stand up trust in the society and to protect our democracy," Vaishnaw added.

Deepfakes: A Growing Concern in India

The issue of deepfakes was brought to the public's attention when a doctored video featuring the popular actress Rashmika Mandhana appeared online. This incident raised security concerns, underscoring the negative potential of AI technology. Even for trained professionals, it is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish between real videos and deepfake content, thanks to the availability of free tools on the internet.

Next Steps in the Battle Against Deepfakes

As a proactive measure, the government plans to convene another meeting in the first week of December to finalize the draft regulations.

Via