In chat with Bill Gates, PM Modi's ‘dos and don'ts’ on AI-generated deepfake content

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has underscored India's cautious approach towards embracing Artificial Intelligence while acknowledging the pressing need for regulations to mitigate potential misuse. In a conversation with Microsoft founder Bill Gates, Modi stressed the importance of providing proper training before granting access to AI technologies.

"If such a good thing (AI) is given to someone without proper training, it is likely to be misused. I suggested that we should start with clear watermarks on AI-generated content. So that nobody is misguided," Modi said.

"In a democratic country like India, anybody can use deepfake. It's crucial to acknowledge that deepfake content is AI-generated. We need to think about some dos and don'ts," he added.

Modi also called for establishing clear guidelines and distinguishing authentic content from deepfake creations.

"For example, they may misuse my voice. It can initially deceive people, leading to widespread chaos. It's crucial to acknowledge that deepfake content is AI-generated and mention its source," Modi said while addressing the issue of deepfake.

Deepfake is a video of a person in which their face or body has been digitally altered so that they appear to be someone else, typically used maliciously or to spread false information.

The prime minister issued a poignant warning against the reckless deployment of AI, cautioning against viewing it merely as a "magic tool" that could lead to grave injustices if wielded without due diligence.

"If we use AI as a magic tool, it will perhaps lead to a grave injustice. If AI is relied on out of laziness...then it is the wrong path," Modi said as he argued for competition between humans and AI chatbots like ChatGPT.

Echoing Modi's sentiments, Bill Gates provided insights into the dynamic nature of AI development, characterising the current stage as "early days" fraught with challenges and opportunities.

"It's early days in AI and I think everyone uses it. In the same day you're surprised at how good it is, and you're also surprised at how bad it is. It'll do things you think are hard, and then it'll fail to do some things you think are easy. I started my trip here in Hyderabad, which was a nice occasion because Microsoft is celebrating 25 years in the country, and that's been such a fantastic experience. So I was definitely challenging the team there. Hey, we have to make the accuracy better. And for now, it's like a Copilot. It helps suggest things. But the final decision about the medicine or the letter you want to write, the final decision, we still have to review that, even though it may make us a bit more creative and a bit more productive. You know, it seems like AI is a huge opportunity, but there are some challenges that come with that" Gates said.