The Centre has issued a fresh warning against AI-generated deepfake videos circulating on social media after manipulated clips falsely depicting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Piyush Goyal went viral. The Press Information Bureau's (PIB) Fact Check Unit has confirmed that the videos are fabricated and digitally altered, urging citizens not to share or rely on the misleading content.
According to the PIB, one of the viral videos falsely showed Prime Minister Modi making threatening remarks against students protesting in Delhi over the alleged NEET paper leak issue. Another manipulated clip portrayed Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal making comments that he never made regarding the protests. The government said both videos were created using artificial intelligence and edited to spread misinformation.
The fact-check unit stated that the statements attributed to the Prime Minister and the Union Minister were entirely fabricated. It also alleged that the videos were being amplified through Pakistani propaganda networks as part of a coordinated misinformation campaign intended to mislead the public and create confusion during an ongoing sensitive issue.
Responding publicly, Piyush Goyal said his remarks to the media outside Parliament had been "maliciously doctored" using artificial intelligence to create a deepfake video. He confirmed that he had filed a police complaint and that an FIR had been registered at Delhi's Chanakyapuri Police Station. The minister said strict legal action would be pursued against those responsible for creating and circulating the manipulated content.
The incident highlights the growing challenge governments and technology platforms face as generative AI tools make it easier to produce realistic synthetic videos. Deepfakes are increasingly being used to imitate public figures, spread misinformation and influence public discourse, making detection and verification more difficult for ordinary users.
The PIB's Fact Check Unit has advised citizens to verify suspicious content through official government channels before forwarding it on messaging platforms or social media. The agency also encouraged users to report manipulated or misleading content through its designated fact-check channels, including WhatsApp and email, to help limit the spread of false information.
The latest case comes amid broader efforts by the government to strengthen safeguards against AI-generated misinformation. Earlier this year, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology said it had issued multiple advisories under the Information Technology Act and the IT Rules, emphasizing due diligence obligations for online intermediaries and highlighting regulatory measures to address harms arising from synthetically generated information, including deepfakes.
Experts have warned that AI-generated videos are becoming increasingly sophisticated, making it harder for users to distinguish authentic footage from manipulated content. As generative AI adoption accelerates across industries, governments, technology companies and social media platforms are under growing pressure to improve detection tools while balancing innovation with safeguards against misuse.
The latest episode underscores how deepfakes are emerging as a significant cybersecurity and trust challenge. While AI continues to unlock new capabilities across sectors, incidents involving manipulated political content are reinforcing calls for stronger verification mechanisms, faster fact-checking processes and greater public awareness about identifying synthetic media.