Akira Nandan, son of Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, has moved the Delhi High Court alleging misuse of his identity through an artificial intelligence–generated film, claiming violations of his personality and privacy rights. In his petition, Akira said the movie, created using AI morphing and deepfake technology, unlawfully used his facial features, voice, and likeness without consent. He also sought directions for the removal of numerous fake social media profiles operating in his name across YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and X.
High Court Imposes Interim Ban on ‘AI Love Story’
Granting interim relief, the High Court imposed a temporary ban on the unauthorized film titled AI Love Story and issued notices to the respondents. Akira informed the court that his face and voice had been digitally altered in the film without permission and requested orders to take down fake accounts linked to his name. The court also directed social media platforms to immediately remove such profiles.
No Deepfake Content Without Consent: Justice Tushar Rao
Justice Tushar Rao Gedela ruled that no AI or deepfake content should be created using Akira Nandan’s name, photographs, voice, likeness, or personality without his explicit consent. The judge observed that exploiting an individual’s identity through AI and deepfake technologies amounts to misappropriation, adding that creating distorted content harming reputation constitutes a violation of privacy rights. The court further prohibited uploading or sharing the film on any social media platform.
Notices Issued to Meta, Google and X; IP Details Sought
The High Court issued notices to Meta, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and X, seeking removal of the video-related accounts and disclosure of IP details. Senior advocate Sai Deepak appeared for Akira Nandan, while Aditya Gupta represented Google and Varun Pathak appeared for Meta. Multiple versions of AI Love Story had surfaced on YouTube, with the Telugu version crossing 1.1 million views and the English version nearing 25,000 views, while reports of fake accounts soliciting donations and alleged financial misuse prompted Akira and his family to seek legal intervention.