AI & Deep Fakes: Legal Issues And Challenges In India

Siddhartha Mishra, Advocate Allahabad High Court

Introduction

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its subset, deep learning, have ushered in transformative technologies, one of which is the creation of deep fakes. These hyperrealistic digital manipulations of audio, video, and images have significant implications across various sectors. In India, the rise of deep fakes poses unique legal and ethical challenges, demanding robust regulatory frameworks and public awareness to mitigate potential harms.

Understanding Deep Fakes

Deep fakes utilize AI algorithms, particularly generative adversarial networks (GANs), to create synthetic media that can convincingly imitate real people. This technology can create videos where individuals appear to say or do things they never actually did. While these technologies offer innovative applications in entertainment, education, and other fields, they also harbor potential for misuse, such as misinformation, defamation, and identity theft.

Applications of Deep Fakes

1. Entertainment and Media

Recreating Historical Figures for Movies or TV Shows: Deep fake technology can bring historical figures back to life for films or TV shows, providing a more immersive and engaging experience. For instance, using deep fakes, a deceased actor can appear in a new film, maintaining continuity and enhancing storytelling.

Enhancing Visual Effects and PostProduction Processes: Deep fakes can streamline visual effects production, making it easier and cheaper to produce highquality media content. This can significantly reduce the time and cost involved in traditional CGI processes.