New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Monday said the matter raising concerns over deepfakes has a large dimension and granted time to the Centre to place its response to a public interest litigation on the issue. Deepfakes are videos or images created using artificial intelligence-powered deep-learning software that show people saying or doing things that they did not actually say or do.
A bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet P S Arora said let the Centre first apply its mind on the issue as it has a large dimension. "This matter has a large dimension so we thought the Union of India would be the best to frame rules. Let the UoI apply its mind first," the bench said.
The court, which had earlier asked the Centre to place its stand on the PIL against deepfakes and the unregulated use of AI, acceded to the request of the government's counsel to grant some time to file the response. The bench granted two weeks to the Centre to file its response and listed the matter for further hearing on February 19.
The court had earlier observed that technology cannot be "reined in" and the issue raised by the petitioner requires deliberations that only the government can undertake as it is a very complicated technology. Maintaining that the matter requires balancing several factors as there are certain positive uses of the technology, the court had said it is something that only the government, with all its resources, can do.
The Centre's counsel had said authorities are looking into the issue and regulations are in place. The petitioner, represented in the court by advocate Manohar Lal, said while technological development is taking place rapidly, the law is moving at a snail's pace. Petitioner Chaitanya Rohilla, a lawyer, sought directions to the Centre to identify and block websites providing access to deepfakes and regulate AI to protect the fundamental rights of citizens.
Artificial intelligence has its own deep-rooted challenges and it is necessary to fill the vacuum caused by the absence of regulations, the petitioner's lawyer said as he highlighted certain recent instances of misuse of the deepfake technology. Actor Rashmika Mandanna recently became a victim of a deepfake video where her face was superimposed on the body of another person.
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