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Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh has lodged an FIR against an account spreading an AI-generated deepfake video of him endorsing a political party.

According to NDTV, the video, which manipulated real footage from an interview with the news agency ANI, falsely depicts Singh criticising Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on issues such as unemployment and inflation.

The altered video concludes with a message urging viewers to vote for the Congress party. Singh responded to the controversy on his Instagram stories, cautioning his followers by stating, “Deepfake se bacho doston [Friends, beware of deepfakes].”

The actor’s legal team confirmed to ANI that an FIR has been registered and an investigation is currently underway. “Yes, we have filed the police complaint and an FIR has been lodged against the handle that was promoting the AI-generated deepfake video of Ranveer Singh,” a spokesperson for the actor said.

Singh’s deepfake comes hot on the heels of actor Aamir Khan’s deepfake also being used to endorse a political party.

Responding to the controversy, Khan’s spokesperson had stated, “Aamir Khan has never endorsed any political party throughout his 35-year career. He has dedicated his efforts to raising awareness through Election Commission public awareness campaigns for many past elections.”

This misuse of Khan and Singh’s images and voices through AI has raised concerns about the use of such technology during elections.

Deepfakes have become a global concern, with instances reported in the United States about it being used to create misleading political content. Experts warn that such content can have significant implications on public opinion and electoral processes.

As AI becomes more sophisticated, the challenge of identifying and regulating deepfakes becomes increasingly difficult. These incidents involving high-profile Bollywood actors underscore the urgent need for comprehensive legal and technological strategies to combat the misuse of such technologies.