AI in India's Election: Trolls Over Terror

India's 2024 election, the world's largest, was expected to be a deepfake nightmare, especially with AI tools readily available for video and audio manipulation. Surprisingly, AI's role has leaned more towards trolling than spreading harmful misinformation.

Despite instances of dead politicians campaigning for their children and fake celebrity endorsements, these were often done humorously rather than maliciously. While Prime Minister Modi's, at times, violent rhetoric has indeed used generative AI tools, the real harm stems from the rhetoric itself, not the AI technology.

Face-swap videos, like one of Rahul Gandhi criticizing an ally, resemble satirical sketches more than genuine misinformation. This trend suggests that AI-generated content, while potentially disruptive, might be less dangerous than initially feared. Should platforms enhance their labeling of such content to mitigate confusion and uphold transparency?

Read the full article on Rest of World.

----