Bhopal: As the assembly elections approach nearer, the tiff between various political parties on social media platforms is on the rise. Cyber-cops suspect that with the easy availability of latest artificial intelligence (AI) tools like deepfake videos and AI voice replication, there is a very high probability that these will be used rampantly to tarnish the image of opponents or to garner votes. Police suspect that a high number of fake video and audio clips of senior political leaders, may also create law and order situations. Fake videos and clips have already created controversies in MP and other states in the past. These videos spread rapidly and police may get a little time to control them before they reach every smartphone user. Cops have now advised people not to trust any videos which may feel unrealistic or controversial and refrain from sharing them with others. A senior cop posted in the cyber-crime branch told TOI that several Internet memes have already been shared on social media platforms recently. Although the memes are funny and made for comedy purposes, they still raise concerns. Another senior cop said that as of now, police do not have any such tool or technology to identify deepfake videos in the state. Normally, videos of senior political leaders are shared by their authentic social media platforms. If any such controversial video is shared from an unknown account without clearing the source, then chances are that it may be a fake. Secondly, the fake videos are created with an intent to defame or malign the image of a rival party or a political leader. They are made for negative purposes, and somebody might be benefited from such videos. So, if any such video is shared it should be properly verified for authenticity. DCP (crime branch) Shrut Kirti Somvanshi said that in case any such video is circulated, people are advised not to take it on face value and should verify the source from where the video originated or was shared. He said that it is possible for police to investigate such videos using forensic tools and then trace the source from where it was shared to nab the accused. DCP Somvanshi said that AI tools and software are readily available on the internet which can create fake deepfakes. Now, even smartphones have the function to share a document in the senders voice. So, there are chances that miscreants may use these tools and software to create fake videos and audio clips during these elections to create controversy. Awareness and using discretion are the only key to counter such videos or audio clips, he said.

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