Actor Shalini Pandey on Monday strongly condemned a fake AI-generated video featuring her likeness that has been circulating online, calling the misuse of technology to target individuals, particularly women, “deeply disturbing”. The actor issued a clarification on Instagram after the manipulated video began gaining circulation on social media, categorically stating that the footage was fabricated and did not depict her. “I want to address a fake, AI-generated video of me that is currently being circulated online. The video is completely fabricated and does not depict me,” Pandey said in her statement. She expressed concern over the growing misuse of artificial intelligence to create manipulated content without the consent of the people depicted.
‘Such abuse should never be normalised’
Pandey said it was disturbing to see technology being used in ways that could target and harm individuals, especially women, and strongly condemned the practice. “I strongly condemn this kind of abuse and believe such misuse of technology should never be normalised,” she said.
The actor also appealed to social media users not to contribute to the circulation of the fabricated video. She urged people who encounter the clip not to share, forward, download or otherwise engage with it and instead report it immediately. Pandey asked users to act responsibly and help prevent the video from gaining further reach. The incident makes Pandey the latest Indian film personality to speak out after becoming the target of manipulated or AI-generated content. Several actors, including Rashmika Mandanna, Alia Bhatt and Deepika Padukone, have previously faced similar incidents involving deepfakes or digitally altered images and videos.
Deepfakes raise consent concerns
Rapid improvements in generative artificial intelligence have made it increasingly easy to produce convincing fabricated images, audio and videos using the likenesses of real people. The technology has consequently raised serious concerns over privacy, consent, impersonation and harassment, particularly when manipulated material is sexual or defamatory in nature.
Celebrities have been frequent targets because large volumes of their photographs and videos are publicly available online, providing material that can be exploited to create convincing synthetic content. Pandey’s statement sought to make clear that she had no connection with the video while discouraging people from inadvertently amplifying the fabricated material through views, downloads and shares.
The actor made her film debut opposite Vijay Deverakonda in the 2017 Telugu blockbuster ‘Arjun Reddy’. She subsequently appeared in Telugu, Tamil and Hindi productions, including ‘Mahanati’, ‘118’, ‘Jayeshbhai Jordaar’ and ‘Maharaj’. Her latest intervention adds to growing calls from actors and other public figures for greater responsibility in dealing with AI-generated content and stronger safeguards against the unauthorised use of a person’s identity and likeness online.