In a disturbing instance underscoring the misuse of artificial intelligence to disseminate false information, a deepfake video featuring actress Rashmika Mandanna has swiftly gone viral on the internet. The actress, renowned for her role in ‘Pushpa,’ expressed her disappointment upon discovering the viral fake video, highlighting the potential for technology to tarnish someone’s reputation.
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At first glance, the AI-generated video showcases the ‘Pushpa’ actress donning a black dress as she enters an elevator. However, this video actually features another individual and was produced using deepfake AI technology. This unsettling development garnered reactions from various prominent figures, including top actors like Amitabh Bachchan and Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar.
Rashmika Mandanna, visibly disturbed by the misuse of technology, described the situation as “extremely scary.” She stressed the urgent need to address the issue as it poses a severe threat to individuals’ identities and reputations.
Taking to Instagram, Mandanna shared her concerns, stating, “Today, as a woman and as an actor, I am thankful for my family, friends, and well-wishers who form my protection and support system. But if this happened to me when I was in school or college, I genuinely can’t imagine how I could ever tackle this. We need to address this as a community and with urgency before more of us are affected by such identity manipulation.”
Expressing her deep distress at the deepfake video of her circulating online, she underlined the profound apprehension it generates, not only for herself but for anyone vulnerable to such harm due to the rampant misuse of technology.
Even before Rashmika Mandanna’s statement, the video elicited a swift response from Amitabh Bachchan. As the first to react, Bachchan, upon seeing the deepfake clip alongside the original video of British-Indian social media personality Zara Patel, called for an immediate legal and regulatory framework to combat the issue of deepfakes in India. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the pressing need to address the misuse of AI technology in spreading false information.