Deepfakes a serious threat to democracy, cautions Om Birla at AI Summit

New Delhi: Against the backdrop of the Lok Sabha Secretariat reportedly serving a notice on the Congress IT cell for allegedly using AI-generated images of Om Birla, the Lok Sabha speaker on Friday termed misinformation and deepfakes "serious threats" to democracy.

Addressing a special session on the theme 'AI for Democracy' at the India AI Impact Summit here, Birla drew attention to the growing challenges posed by deepfakes and misinformation.

Describing them as serious threats to democracy, he emphasised that artificial intelligence (AI) must be used to strengthen truth and credibility, not to distort or suppress facts.


He also stressed the need for developing robust safeguards alongside technological advancements to protect democratic discourse from manipulation and confusion.

The Lok Sabha speaker noted that AI has the potential to make democracy more transparent, accountable and citizen-centric.

He stressed that the nation's guiding principle has always been 'Sarvajan Hitaya, Sarvajan Sukhaya' - for the welfare and happiness of all.

India, he noted, works with the spirit of global well-being, rooted in its enduring civilisational values.

Highlighting the transformative role of technology in legislative functioning, the speaker observed that AI is emerging as a significant tool for strengthening democratic institutions.

He noted that initiatives such as Digital Parliament are simplifying communication between citizens and Parliament, bridging the digital and information divide in a diverse country like India.

He told the gathering that under the Digital Parliament initiative, parliamentary proceedings have been made paperless, modern and environmentally sustainable.

With the help of AI tools, thousands of hours of parliamentary debates and records have been systematically organised and made easily searchable and accessible to the public, he said.

This, Birla emphasised, enhances transparency and enables citizens to closely monitor the performance of their elected representatives, thereby increasing accountability.

Referring to India's linguistic diversity, the speaker underlined the importance of the 'Sansad Bhashini' initiative, through which parliamentary debates are being made available in multiple regional languages using AI-enabled translation tools.

Citizens across the country can now access and understand parliamentary discussions in their own languages, strengthening trust and participation in the democratic process, the speaker said.

Birla also said that India's AI strategy is guided by the principle of inclusive development, and that the use of AI in education, healthcare and agriculture will accelerate the country's journey towards the vision of a developed India by 2047.

By enhancing access to quality education, improving healthcare delivery systems and empowering farmers with data-driven solutions, AI can transform the lives of millions, particularly those in the under-served and unorganised sectors, Birla said.