Bollywood AI Videos Disappear From YouTube Following Reuters Investigation
New Delhi – Scores of deepfake videos featuringโ Bollywood stars have been removed from YouTube after a Reuters story highlighted the proliferation of AI-generated content exploiting the likenesses of Indian actors without their consent. The takedowns began shortly after Reutersโ published its findings on February 29, 2024, revealing a โขsurge in unauthorized AI videos on the platform.
The removal of these videos underscores growing concerns about the misuse of artificialโฃ intelligence and the lack of robust safeguards to protect individuals โขfrom digital impersonation. The issueโฃ is especially acute in โIndia’s prolificโฃ film industry, where celebrity imagesโ are widely circulated and easily exploited. the โขvideos, often sexually suggestive or โdepicting fabricated endorsements, raised alarm among actors and industry stakeholders, prompting calls for stricter regulations and platform accountability.
Reuters identified โat โleast 83 deepfake videos featuring prominent Bollywood actors,โข garnering โคmillions of views before being flagged for removal.โ The videos utilized AI technology โคto convincingly portray actors in scenarios they never participated in, raising legal and ethical โขquestions about consent, defamation, and โintellectual property โขrights.
Aditya Kalra,Company News Editor for Reuters โin India,led the reporting,focusing on the business coverage and strategies of major โcompanies impacted by the issue. Arpan Chaturvedi,a Reuters correspondent based in New Delhi,contributed โคto the coverageโค by reporting on the legal ramifications andโ court cases โrelated toโฃ the unauthorized use of celebrity likenesses.
YouTube confirmedโข to Reuters that it removed โthe videosโค for violating โคits policies prohibiting the creation โof misleading or deceptive content. The platform stated it is continuouslyโฃ refining its detection systems and working with industry partners to โคaddress the โฃevolving threat of deepfakes. though, โคexperts โฃwarn โขthat the rapid advancement of AIโ technology โขnecessitatesโข a more proactive and extensive approach toโข combat theโฃ spread of unauthorized AI-generated content.
