Hrithik Roshan takes legal action against AI misuse of his face and voice

Actor Hrithik Roshan, has approached the Delhi High Court with a plea for relief. He has asked the court that if AI should be allowed to continue to perform with his face and voice without his consent. Deepfakes-related issues are very common these days in the entertainment industry, and the problem escalates in the case of celebrities like him.

Other stars joining the fight

This is not the only instance of such a move. Actors like Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Amitabh Bachchan, and filmmaker Karan Johar have also challenged such deep fakes in the past. The internet is full of AI-generated videos and photos put together using your favourite artists' faces attending events that never actually happened, or endorsing products without permission. Thus, these synthetic personas confuse the audience as to what is real and what is not.

Why image protection matters

Image is the most valuable asset in the movie business, and it also happens to be one of the main reasons why celebrities are resorting to court action. What used to be a powerful way to protect one's privacy is turning into an emergency with the intervention of AI technology.

The legal and ethical debate

The problem calls for a very significant question regarding identity rights and AI policy in India. With the law being slow to adapt to rapid technological changes, the celebrities themselves act while public opinion is divided. Some people think that it is very important to take measures to prevent one’s image from being used improperly, and those who think of AI as a creative tool and therefore accept their already inevitable conceptions.

Setting a precedent for the future

Technology helps AI to be a lot more evolved, which intensifies the discussion: should the protection of celebrity identities by law still be extended, and to what degree? Roshan and co. are heralding the coming of a new epoch, and their case’s finale might be the one to totally usher in the Indian techno-stardom relationship.

So, do you think celebrities are right to take their case to the court when faced with AI misuse, or that it is not a matter of concern when tech reproduces someone’s image?