Operation Fake News: India Confronts AI-Generated Propaganda, Digital Threats and Cross

The government’s cyber security and fake news detection units have their hands full. There has been a flood of AI-generated fakes targeting the Indian armed forces with one purportedly showing the new Army chief criticising the government for ‘hiding’ deaths of armed forces personnel during Operation Sindoor. The obvious improbability of such a statement made the video immediately suspect but the morphing and audio was worrying. The heads of the government’s media arms that deal with traditional print and TV, social media and digital platforms now meet on a regular basis to share information and examine trends. Most of the fakes seeking to spread misinformation about Indian armed forces are traced to Pakistan.