AMID the growing concern over deepfakes in India after quite a few female actors found themselves in the 'trap', prime minister Narendra Modi on Friday (17) flagged the misuse of artificial intelligence (AI) for generating deepfake videos. He also spoke about his own deepfake that allegedly did rounds on social media platforms recently and called the problem a "big concern".
Speaking at a Diwali event of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at its headquarters in Delhi, the prime minister said he had asked the ChatGPT team to flag deepfakes and air warnings whenever such videos are circulated online.
Modi spoke about an alleged deepfake video of himself doing Garba, a festival dance in Gujarat, during the recent Diwali celebrations.
"I recently saw a video in which I was seen playing Garba. I have not done Garba since school," he shared.
However, some social media users said it was not a deepfake but a lookalike of the prime minister taking part in the dance event.
Modi said there are scores of such videos that are being circulated online. He also urged the media to educate people about fake videos.
"During the times of artificial intelligence, it is important that technology should be used responsibly," Modi said.
The top leader's caution comes amid outrage over a series of deepfake videos on social media with morphed faces of Indian actors such as Rashmika Mandanna, Katrina Kaif and Kajol with objectionable dresses.
The videos have sparked a massive outrage across the country and concerns were raised over the power of AI to create deepfakes that can mislead the world. The film industry also voiced its concern, including legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan.
The Indian electronics and information technology (IT) ministry last week issued an advisory to social media platforms with an emphasis on legal provisions that cover deepfakes and the penalties their creation and circulation may lead to.
Rajeev Chandrasekhar, the junior Indian minister for electronics and IT, said the government is committed to ensuring Indians' trust and safety in the digital space.
The Modi government has cautioned that creation and circulation of deepfakes could carry a fine of Rs 1 lakh and three years in jail.
Army personnel stand amid the rubble following an explosion inside the police headquarters at Kohat in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on September 18, 2026. An explosion at a historic police headquarters in northern Pakistan on September 18 killed at least eight people and wounded 35 more, officials said, with the country's president swiftly blaming a militant group. Getty Images
Mourners read the holy Quran while sitting around the grave of a paramilitary personnel of the Frontier Corps (FC) who was killed during the Afghanistan-Pakistan border clashes, in Kohat on October 17, 2025. A ceasefire along the frontier between Afghanistan and Pakistan was holding on October 16, officials on both sides said, after dozens of troops and civilians were killed in cross-border clashes.Getty Images
