IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw expressed deep concern about the impact of the deepfakes on democratic systems and has asked individual social media platforms to take responsibility for the content published.
He flagged how while the government has conveyed concerns to the social media companies, there were questions about how much effort they were putting into combating deepfakes.
Vaishnaw shared concerns about
AI-enabled deepfakes, in an exclusive conversation with
CNBC-TV18, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2024 in Davos, Switzerland.
Referring to actions by intermediaries, Vaishnaw said, “
On the regulatory framework, he said that due to the
upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the government didn’t have time for new legislation. He noted that the government was trying to work within the framework of existing regulations. But he cautioned that after the elections, the Centre will consider new legislation to combat the menace of deepfakes.
He cited conversations with two communication ministers he met in Davos and highlighted how there were shared concerns about AI-backed deepfakes and their impact on democratic processes.
He clarified that the government’s view is clear that it has to be dealt with strongly, not only through a regulatory mechanism but also through a penal framework.