Fakes that are deep trouble: The fightback against misinformation menace

Powered by artificial intelligence, deepfake videos, images and audio are being used to harass and create mischief

When ChatGPT made headlines earlier this year, it marked how people could use generative artificial intelligence (AI) in their daily lives. Headlines now speak of how AI is being used for “deepfakes”, or the manipulation of voice and facial data.

The technology has been around since 2017 but what has shocked India is how easily it can be used to spread disinformation, harass or blackmail people. Public uproar began earlier this month when a fake video of actor Rashmika Mandanna surfaced­. Her picture was morphed over that of British Indian social media personality Zara Patel. Fake videos of actors Katrina