Can deepfakes be good for democracy? India tries to balance risks and rewards of AI.
India’s marathon elections – which last six weeks and involve nearly a billion voters – are offering the world a glimpse into the promise and perils of rapidly advancing artificial intelligence.
A survey by cybersecurity company McAfee found that, in the last 12 months, more than 75% of Indians online have seen some form of deepfake content – video or audio that’s been manipulated through AI technology to convincingly imitate another person.
Some of this content has arguably benefited India’s democracy, including the ruling party’s use of AI tools to make Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speeches available in different languages. But since elections began April 19, there’s been a surge of viral videos harnessing the likenesses
