The virtual world was recently rattled as a deepfake video purportedly featuring Rashmika Mandanna caused a stir on social media. The ‘Animal’ actress found herself at the center of controversy as a video depicting her in a figure-hugging black dress went viral, only for it to be revealed as an elaborate deepfake.
Amitabh Bachchan’s Call For Legal Action
🚨 There is an urgent need for a legal and regulatory framework to deal with deepfake in India.
You might have seen this viral video of actress Rashmika Mandanna on Instagram. But wait, this is a deepfake video of Zara Patel.
This thread contains the actual video. (1/3) pic.twitter.com/SidP1Xa4sT
— Abhishek (@AbhishekSay) November 5, 2023
Amitabh Bachchan, the Bollywood icon, wasted no time demanding legal action after the deepfake scandal. Expressing concern over the misuse of artificial intelligence, Bachchan urged the government to take stringent measures against those utilizing AI to cause harm.
yes this is a strong case for legal https://t.co/wHJl7PSYPN
— Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) November 5, 2023
A journalist on X shed light on the unsettling incident, unveiling the true identity of the person in the controversial video. Contrary to popular belief, it wasn’t Rashmika Mandanna but a British-Indian influencer named Zara Patel. The revelation sparked a cascade of reactions on social media.
Urgent Need For Regulation
The original video is of Zara Patel, a British-Indian girl with 415K followers on Instagram. She uploaded this video on Instagram on 9 October. (2/3) pic.twitter.com/MJwx8OldJU
— Abhishek (@AbhishekSay) November 5, 2023
The journalist underscored the urgent need for a legal and regulatory framework to address deepfake challenges in India. The alarming trend of creating fabricated videos using AI has prompted calls for immediate action to safeguard individuals from such deceptive practices. The exposé thread gained massive traction on microblogging sites, amassing over 15 million views and over 13K likes. Users flooded the comment section, condemning the rising prevalence of deepfake videos and expressing their concerns about the potential harm they can inflict.
Amitabh Bachchan Joins The Cause
Retweeting the journalist’s post, Amitabh Bachchan added his voice to the chorus. Thus emphasizing the necessity for the government to take swift legal action. Against those responsible for creating and circulating deepfake content.
Rise Of AI And Cyberbullying Concerns
From a deepfake POV, the viral video is perfect enough for ordinary social media users to fall for it. But if you watch the video carefully, you can see at (0:01) that when Rashmika (deepfake) was entering the lift, suddenly her face changes from the other girl to Rashmika. (3/3)
— Abhishek (@AbhishekSay) November 5, 2023
A concerned social media user highlighted the broader issue of AI-enabled trolling and cyberbullying, particularly the rise of non-consensual intimate imagery (NCII). The post underscored the urgent need to address these challenges and protect individuals from digital exploitation. Interestingly, Zara Patel, the original subject of the deepfake video. Also took a lighthearted approach, tweeting. “Well, it looks like people are making deep fakes of me looool”. Showcasing a surprising level of nonchalance amidst the online storm.
Well it looks like people are making deep fakes of me looool https://t.co/YvrFqZwlTg
— Goddess Zara Patel | (@TequilaPatell) November 6, 2023
Rashmika Mandanna Responds To The Video
Finally, Rashmika Mandanna responds to the deep fake video. She wrote on X,
“I feel really hurt to share this and have to talk about the deepfake video of me being spread online.
Something like this is honestly, extremely scary not only for me, but also for each one of us who today is vulnerable to so much harm because of how technology is being misused.
Today, as a woman and as an actor, I am thankful for my family, friends and well wishers who are my protection and support system. But if this happened to me when I was in school or college, I genuinely can’t imagine how could I ever tackle this.
We need to address this as a community and with urgency before more of us are affected by such identity theft.”
I feel really hurt to share this and have to talk about the deepfake video of me being spread online.
Something like this is honestly, extremely scary not only for me, but also for each one of us who today is vulnerable to so much harm because of how technology is being misused.…
— Rashmika Mandanna (@iamRashmika) November 6, 2023
In a world where technology blurs the lines between reality and deception. Thus the incident serves as a stark reminder of the pressing need for regulatory measures to curb the misuse of AI. The entertainment industry is already grappling with various challenges. Therefore, we must now confront the looming threat of deepfake controversies.
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