In a significant ruling, the Bombay High Court has issued a stern directive against the circulation of AI-generated and morphed images of Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty. The court, expressing deep concern, ordered social media platforms to immediately delete all such content.
Court's Strong Reaction to 'Shocking' Content
On Friday, a vacation bench of Justice Advait Sethna examined the material presented and found it "prima facie extremely disturbing and shocking." The judge emphasized that no individual, especially a woman, should be portrayed in a manner that infringes upon her fundamental right to privacy without her knowledge or consent.
The court's observations came during a hearing on a lawsuit filed by Shetty herself. The actor sought protection of her personality rights, alleging the misuse of artificial intelligence tools to clone her voice and mannerisms. These were allegedly used to create unauthorized morphed images, books, and merchandise.
Shetty's Legal Battle Against AI Misuse
In her petition, Shilpa Shetty detailed how her digital identity was being exploited. She submitted evidence from multiple social media platforms showing her depicted in "inappropriate and unacceptable" ways. Based on this, she urged the court to issue an injunction to take down the content and prevent further unauthorized use of her name, voice, or likeness.
Acknowledging her stature as a well-known film personality and active social media user, the bench noted that the circulation of such URLs would tarnish her image and reputation, an outcome that cannot be allowed.
Immediate Action Ordered to Protect Rights
Concluding the matter, the High Court issued a clear mandate. It directed all defendants, which include the concerned websites and platforms, to forthwith delete and remove the offending URLs. The order was passed "in the interest of justice," requiring the content to be taken down without any delay.
This ruling highlights the growing legal challenges posed by deepfake technology and AI-generated content, setting a precedent for the protection of individual privacy and personality rights in the digital age against non-consensual synthetic media.
