UDF lodges complaint over alleged AI-generated video against Haripad candidate

The United Democratic Front (UDF) has lodged a complaint before the Election Commission (EC) alleging that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is reportedly circulating an AI-generated deepfake video against its candidate in the Haripad Assembly constituency in Alappuzha district.

Anil B. Kalathil, chairperson of the UDF’s election committee and the complainant, alleged that the BJP’s campaign machinery has been widely disseminating a fabricated video through social media platforms, including WhatsApp and Facebook. The video has been created using AI technology to falsely attribute communally sensitive statements to the UDF candidate, with the intent of triggering religious polarisation and disturbing public harmony in the constituency, it alleged.

The front has urged the EC to intervene to safeguard the integrity of the election process. It stated that the circulation of manipulated content represented a direct attempt to mislead voters and influence public opinion through orchestrated disinformation.

It has urged the EC to direct cyber cell authorities and social media platforms to immediately identify, remove, and block the spread of the alleged deepfake video. It also sought directions to the police to register a criminal case against those responsible for creating and sharing the content, citing concerns of defamation and attempts to incite communal tension.