This isn't the first time Alia has been subject to AI manipulations. Earlier, a video circulated on social media platforms showing her face seamlessly transposed onto the body of actress Wamiqa Gabbi, creating an unsettlingly realistic illusion. 

During the General Elections of 2024, social media platforms were flooded with deepfake videos featuring prominent actors like Aamir Khan and Ranveer Singh endorsing various political parties, all thanks to AI voice swap technology.

The move comes on the heels of mounting concerns over the potential impact of deepfakes on the electoral process, prompting a delegation from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by the current IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, to approach the Election Commission seeking urgent measures to address this issue.

Between March 1 and March 31, Meta received 15,226 reports on Facebook in the country, with 4,323 reports concerning fake profiles. On Instagram, the company received a total of 12,084 reports through the Indian grievance mechanism, of which 5,055 were about fake profiles on the photo-sharing platform.

Shyam Kishor Gupta, a resident of Noida and a native of Lakhimpur Kheri district in Uttar Pradesh, was arrested on Thursday by the UP Police's STF for allegedly posting an AI-generated "deepfake" video of CM Yogi Adityanath.

The Delhi High Court has instructed the Election Commission to address concerns regarding the use of deepfake technology in election campaigns, particularly amid the controversy surrounding a video allegedly featuring Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The Court emphasised the urgency of the matter and directed the EC to make a decision by Monday.

The city police recently registered an FIR against an unidentified person in connection with a similar deep fake video of Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan where he was purportedly seen promoting a political party. 

The video shows Khan endorsing a political party.

As the battle for supremacy in the Lok Sabha polls intensifies, political parties have identified a new tool in their arsenal: leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to generate content shared across various social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and others.

Vaishnaw highlighted that social media platforms are no longer mere platforms as they were three decades ago, with most platforms already moderating content. 

The accused identified as 23-year-old Eemani Naveen, a native of Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, had created the video to increase the followers on his fan page of Rashmika Mandanna on Instagram, an official said.

The Minister of State for IT and Electronics asserted that the onus of detecting and taking down deepfakes and prohibited content lies with the platforms and intermediaries, and warned that any inaction or casual approach on their part to this "core responsibility" of preventing user harm may even lead to them being blocked.