New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Thursday directed the Central Government to file a status report on the measures taken to deal with the growing threat of deepfake technology. The court has asked the government what steps it has taken so far to deal with the growing problem of deepfakes. A bench led by Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela took note of the growing trend of deepfakes. Using 'Deepfake' technology, fake videos, audios and pictures similar to the original are created.
Rajat Sharma's petition was being heard
The court, while hearing petitions by India TV Chairman and Editor-in-Chief Rajat Sharma and advocate Chaitanya Rohilla against non-regulation of 'deepfake' technology, said it was a 'very serious issue' which needs to be addressed by the authorities on priority basis. But needs to be dealt with. Delhi High Court Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela said the report should highlight the measures taken at the government level and also whether there will be a high-level committee to suggest solutions.
'Negative part of technology has to be removed'
Delhi High Court has asked the Central Government to be transparent about its efforts to tackle deepfakes. The bench said, 'What are you doing? The cases of deepfakes are increasing day by day. I am happy that people from the industry have started some initiatives and are spreading awareness among the people. The court also said that artificial intelligence i.e. AI cannot be banned because people need it. The High Court said, 'We have to remove the negative part of technology and keep the positive part.'
Advocate Wadhwa told about the side effects
Senior advocate Darpan Wadhwa, representing Rajat Sharma, highlighted the disproportionate impact of deepfakes on women, who are often targeted with obscene content. The Chief Justice also acknowledged the challenge of preventing misuse of AI while recognizing its potential benefits. Senior advocate Wadhwa, however, argued that the current advisory requiring removal of deepfake content within 72 hours is inadequate and immediate action is required. (With PTI inputs)
Image Credit: India-Tv.