AI generated ‘below the belt’ political slugfest…
Political rivals in Uttar Pradesh are exchanging AI-generated deepfake videos to conduct smear campaigns against party leaders and their families
- Incident date
- Sep 2024
- Target
- Akhilesh Yadav, Dimple Yadav, Yogi Adityanath
In September 2024, political discourse in Uttar Pradesh escalated as the Samajwadi Party and the BJP engaged in a public dispute over the use of AI-generated deepfake content. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav raised concerns regarding a series of manipulated videos circulating on social media that targeted him, his wife Dimple Yadav, and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
What happened
The conflict centers on the use of sophisticated synthesis tools to create content for political point-scoring. Akhilesh Yadav highlighted a deepfake video that depicted him as a patron of lawlessness, featuring a song referencing his childhood nickname, Teepu. He further criticized the targeting of his family, specifically noting that a deepfake of Mainpuri MP Dimple Yadav had been posted by social media handles he attributed to BJP supporters.
In response, the Samajwadi Party showcased an AI-generated video targeting Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. This video featured visuals of the Chief Minister in his customary saffron attire, making allegations regarding donation theft at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, alongside claims concerning unemployment and women's safety. The video was accompanied by a song titled ‘UP badnaam hua, Baba tere maare.’
Both political parties have accused the other of initiating the use of AI for smear campaigns, with the BJP claiming that the SP’s video targeting the Chief Minister insulted his role as a saint. Analysts have expressed concern that this escalating use of AI-generated content, which has previously included campaigns targeting the SP chief's daughter, risks inciting supporters and lowering the standards of political debate ahead of the 2027 Assembly polls.