Om Birla warns against Deepfakes, calls for safeguards to protect democracy

Amid reports that the Lok Sabha Secretariat issued a notice to the Congress IT cell over the alleged use of AI-generated images of the Speaker, Om Birla on Friday cautioned that misinformation and deepfakes pose serious risks to democratic institutions .

“The misuse of artificial intelligence through deepfakes and false information is a serious challenge to democracy. AI must be used to strengthen truth and credibility, not to distort or suppress facts,” Birla said while addressing a special session on ‘AI for Democracy’ at the India AI Impact Summit.

Speaking at a special session titled ‘AI for Democracy’ during the India AI Impact Summit, Birla said artificial intelligence must be used to strengthen truth and credibility , not to distort facts. He stressed the need for robust safeguards and ethical frameworks to prevent manipulation of democratic discourse.

He said AI has the potential to make democracy more transparent, accountable and citizen-centric , in line with India’s guiding principle of ‘Sarvajan Hitaya, Sarvajan Sukhaya’ .

Highlighting digital reforms, Birla noted that initiatives such as Digital Parliament have made parliamentary proceedings paperless and environmentally sustainable , while AI tools have organised thousands of hours of debates into searchable public records, enhancing transparency and accountability.

He also referred to the Sansad Bhashini initiative , which uses AI-powered translation to make parliamentary debates available in multiple regional languages, enabling citizens to access discussions in their own languages and strengthening democratic participation.

Birla said India’s AI strategy focuses on inclusive development , with applications in education, healthcare and agriculture expected to accelerate the country’s journey towards becoming a developed nation by 2047 and improve the lives of millions in under-served sectors.