Use of deepfake videos and images grows ahead of India's election

Trend of political parties using Al-generated content for campaigning stirs unease

- Rohini Mohan

The youth wing conference of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in Salem, Tamil Nadu, on Jan 21 had an unexpected speaker: party founder Muthuvel Karunanidhi, who died in 2018.

The video that regenerated the former Tamil Nadu chief minister through artificial intelligence (AI) got much applause at the gathering in Salem, especially when the AIgenerated Karunanidhi scolded the national government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi for "robbing the state" of its due share of funds.

A month later, Mr Karunanidhi's AI avatar appeared again in the leader's trademark yellow shawl autobiography dark glasses at the phy launch of party veteran T.R. Baalu, congratulating his dear friend.

Al-generated videos and voices have become a handy tool for political parties in India, with many launching trials before fine-tuning them for extensive use in election campaigning in the national polls due in April.

"Since AI videos and voices have a novelty factor, we want to use them as entertainment to draw crowds. There will be more use of Al-generated content towards the national election," said DMK spokesman Dharanidharan Selvam.

Not to be left behind, DMK's rival, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), also released in late February an

AI-generated audio clip of its own leader J. Jayalalithaa, who died in 2016.

The AI-generated voice of Tamil Nadu's only female chief minister repeated her popular catchphrase: "I am because of the people, I am for the people" (Makkalaal naan, makkalukkaagave naan), before asking people to stand with Mr Edappadi Palaniswami, the current party president.