India, like many other countries, stands at a crossroads where the benefits of artificial intelligence (AI) are shadowed by the serious threat of deepfakes. As we gear up for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the risk of AI-generated deepfakes looms large, capable of changing public opinion and undermining the sanctity of our democratic processes. This aspect was even identified by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his recent interactions.
Deepfake is a technological process where a person’s voice, face, posture or actions are digitally mimicked to appear authentic. This technique often involves sophisticated computer programs and algorithms. It is frequently applied to videos or audio to create a deceptive impression for the user. The alarming news is that there are now hundreds of unrestricted online software, and any user can make deepfakes in a few hundred rupees.
These can be lip-synced messages from political leaders and celebrities, in their cloned voice making false claims, accusations and fake promises, which can create massive confusion once they are circulated on social media and WhatsApp. The trouble is that such messages can be generated by India’s rival countries to create mass confusion just before the elections, and by the time the rumours are identified, the impact on the elections would already be done.
The global landscape has already witnessed the ramifications of deepfakes. During the 2020 US elections, deepfakes and synthetic media were used to create misleading representations of candidates, sowing confusion and discord among voters. Closer home, in the Indian context, the proliferation of social media and messaging platforms could serve as a fertile ground for deepfakes, potentially escalating communal tensions and polarising voters.
As the threat of deepfakes continues to cast a shadow over democratic processes globally, the upcoming 2024 elections in India face unique challenges that make the nation particularly vulnerable to this emerging threat. India’s rich diversity of languages and cultures creates a fertile ground for manipulation through deepfakes. With numerous languages spoken across the country, crafting deepfakes in diverse linguistic contexts can amplify their impact, making it challenging to combat misinformation effectively.
Firstly, the vast regional differences in India, ranging from urban centres to remote rural areas, pose a significant risk. Deepfakes tailored to exploit regional sentiments and issues can cause tensions, leading to potential social discord and influencing voting behaviour.
Secondly, India exhibits a wide spectrum of literacy levels, with disparities between urban and rural areas. Manipulative deepfakes could exploit these variations by targeting specific demographics, taking advantage of lower literacy levels to spread misinformation that may go unchecked.
Thirdly, the unique characteristic of India’s elections, occurring within a relatively short time frame of about one month, intensifies the risks posed by deepfakes. The swift nature of the electoral process leaves limited room for thorough fact-checking and corrective measures, allowing false narratives to gain traction quickly.
Lastly, India boasts one of the largest voter bases globally, comprising hundreds of millions of eligible voters. The sheer scale of the electorate makes it challenging to monitor and address the potential spread of deepfakes effectively, amplifying the impact of misinformation on a massive scale.
As India gears up for the democratic exercise of the 2024 elections, addressing the vulnerabilities posed by deepfakes becomes paramount for preserving the democratic ethos of the nation.
Possible areas of intervention to combat deepfake-based election manipulation
Firstly, the establishment of robust fact-checking and media verification mechanisms is crucial. Taking a leaf out of Indonesia’s book, where during their 2019 elections, the government set up a ‘war room’ to combat fake news, India can implement a centralised system for monitoring deepfakes. This requires collaboration between government agencies, tech companies, and media organisations and this process should be immediately initiated as a special project under the Election Commission of India.
The legal framework also needs to catch up with technological advancements. France’s approach to combating fake news during elections, involving the imposition of strict rules on social media transparency and the power for judges to remove fake content, offers valuable insights. In India, amending the Information Technology Act, 2000, to include specific provisions against the creation and dissemination of deepfakes is an imperative step.
Ironically, AI itself can be a potent tool against deepfakes. AI algorithms can be trained to detect anomalies in videos and images that are usually imperceptible to the human eye. There are already tools available which can analyse videos and still photos to provide a percentage chance of them being artificially manipulated. Such tools need to be aggressively developed in the Indian context and in multiple languages.
Awareness campaigns are vital. Just as Estonia, a small nation in Europe, has educated its citizens about digital threats through comprehensive cyber hygiene programs, India needs to initiate national-level awareness campaigns at the school and college level, especially for first-time voters. These campaigns should focus on educating the public about the existence and nature of deepfakes, equipping them with the skills to identify such content.
We also need to develop a multilingual government-backed platform where any citizen can submit and check a potential deepfake video which is going around. Successful submissions can be encouraged in the way of prizes and recognition. This will also help trace the true source of such deepfake videos. Integrating digital literacy into the educational curriculum, similar to Finland’s approach to equipping its citizens against misinformation, can create significant positive results.
Media organisations will also be playing an important role here. By adhering to journalistic standards, media houses of India can counter the spread of deepfakes. Collaborative journalism, as seen in the European Union’s approach to tackling disinformation through networks like EDMO (European Digital Media Observatory), can be a model to emulate for the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
Deepfakes will pose a serious threat to the integrity of Indian elections, perhaps as early as 2024. Combating them will need a multidimensional approach, involving multiple agencies in close collaboration with private companies and the public at large. We would need a very robust, rapidly evolving and agile department to combat the threat of deepfakes. These will continue to keep getting better and more dangerous, adding ways to evade being caught, often coming from rival nations. This battle matters for the core of our democracy, it will be long drawn and we must prepare for it.
The author is the founder of the Kalam Centre and former advisor (policy) to the 11th President of India, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18’s views.
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