BJD flags videos targeting Sujata

Bhubaneswar: The Opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) lodged a complaint for creation and circulation of Al-generated, deepfake and voice-cloned videos ‘defaming’, ‘degrading’ and targeting former bureaucrat and senior party leader Sujata Rout Karthikeyan by a social media account on Instagram and Facebook.

Strongly condemning the circulation of videos against the senior BJD leader, the party demanded in its complaint the registration of an FIR in the matter, a thorough investigation and strict legal action against those responsible. The complaint was submitted by BJD leader Amrita Mishra at Capital Police Station in Bhubaneswar against the unknown operators of the social media account “Odianka Chhata” on Instagram and Facebook.

According to the complaint, videos allegedly uploaded on October 18 used artificial intelligence and voice-cloning technology to circulate fabricated content. One such video allegedly portrayed Sujata Rout Karthikeyan threatening the Principal of Kendrapada Autonomous College in connection with student union elections.

“The said content is entirely fabricated and has been manufactured with the sole intent to mislead the public, create discord, and lower the dignity and reputation of Sujata Rout Karthikeyan in the eyes of the public, as she belongs to the district of Kendrapada. The said content is solely created to politicise the matter as BJD has won in almost all colleges of Kendrapada,” Mishra alleged in the complaint. The party urged the police to immediately identify those operating the accounts, preserve the digital evidence and conduct a forensic examination of the content to establish its authenticity and trace those involved. The complaint also sought steps to obtain relevant information from Meta Platforms, which owns Facebook and Instagram, through lawful procedures. The party urged the police to take necessary measures to prevent further circulation of the allegedly defamatory material.

The BJD alleged that the misuse of artificial intelligence to fabricate statements, malign a woman leader and mislead the public was a serious matter requiring immediate intervention. It called for an impartial investigation and accountability under the law. The party demanded strict action against all persons found involved in creating, uploading or circulating the alleged deepfake content. The development comes amid heightened political activity following the student union elections held across Odisha on October 15.

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The Hans India