HYDERABAD: The state government on Monday petitioned the Telangana High Court to issue directions against AI-generated content used to spread false narratives in the issue of 400 acres of land at Kancha Gachibowli.
During the hearing of a clutch of PILs against the state government’s proposal to auction the land (which was subsequently stayed by the Supreme Court), the Government Pleader (Forests) informed a bench of Acting Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Renuka Yara that certain fake videos were being circulated on social media platforms to malign the state government’s image.
In a review meeting on Saturday, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy had taken a serious view of the alleged false narratives and directed officials to approach courts for a probe into the creation of misleading AI content with regard to the 400 acres at Kancha Gachibowli.
Celebrities shared fake content, CM was told
The CM also directed the officials to strengthen the state’s cybercrime department to prevent such incidents from recurring and to mobilise advanced forensic hardware and software tools to detect AI-generated fake content.
The directions came after officials highlighted that although many projects have been constructed over the past 25 years in Kancha Gachibowli, there were no disputes or concerns during their development.
They also informed that some individuals created videos and images using AI to make fabricated content appear authentic and circulated these widely on social media. They said that well-known personalities from various fields unintentionally contributed to the spread of misinformation by believing the content to be genuine and sharing it on social media.
The meeting noted that Union Minister G Kishan Reddy, former minister G Jagadish Reddy, social media influencer Dhruv Rathee as well as film celebrities John Abraham, Dia Mirza and Raveena Tandon had all shared AI-generated fake images and videos, thereby spreading misinformation.
The matter was adjourned to April 24.
The Supreme Court, meanwhile, will be hearing a suo motu case on the felling of trees on the land adjacent to the UoH on April 16.