India election: AI deepfakes of Bollywood stars backing political parties swirl as voters grapple with information overload

Videos of actors like Aamir Khan criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi have dominated social media, muddying the political debate and influencing voter decisions

Experts say the rapid spread of manipulated content puts more burden on the people to check its accuracy in a society often used to accepting information without critical thinking

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People travel on a boat to cast their ballot near a polling station during India’s general election in Assam state on April 26. Photo: AFP

Published: 6:00pm, 27 Apr 2024

Fears over deepfake videos have again surfaced in India amid an election that will last till June, with clips this time showing Bollywood actors declaring their political views and the trend underscoring pervasive use of artificial intelligence technology to manipulate narratives.

Popular stars Aamir Khan and Ranbir Kapoor were pictured saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi had failed to keep campaign promises and address critical economic issues during his two terms.

The clips end with the opposition Congress election symbol and slogan: “Vote for Justice, Vote for Congress”.

The celebrities, however, have denied involvement in the videos that experts say put a great burden on the Indian public to discern fact from fiction, in a society where opinion could be easily influenced by cult culture among those untrained in critical thinking.

Another entertainer, Ranveer Singh, was also shown in a clip endorsing a political party.

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