Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Saturday warned of stern action against individuals responsible for spreading misinformation through artificial intelligence (AI) related to government land near Hyderabad University. He said the state would not spare those who artificially created controversy through social media over land development in Kanche Gachibowli.
Chairing a high-level review meeting at the Secretariat regarding court cases linked to land in Survey No. 25 of Kanche Gachibowli, the Chief Minister discussed the issue with Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka, Ministers Seethakka and Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy, Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari, DGP Jitender, TSIIC MD Vishnuvardhan Reddy, and officials from the forest department.
Officials briefed the CM that over the last 25 years, several projects including the Indian School of Business (ISB), Gachibowli Stadium, IIIT, private constructions, residential apartments, and university buildings were developed on land within the same survey number without any legal or environmental objections.
The controversy, they said, emerged only after plans were announced to develop around 400 acres of government land. The Chief Minister was informed that AI-generated images and videos were circulated widely on social media showing fabricated scenes—such as crying peacocks and deer allegedly injured by bulldozers—to mislead the public and spark national-level debates.
Police officials revealed that several prominent individuals—including Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy, former minister G. Jagadish Reddy, influencer Dhruv Rathee, and film actors John Abraham, Dia Mirza, and Raveena Tandon—shared these manipulated visuals, unintentionally amplifying false narratives.
Officials also mentioned that the first such fake video was posted by journalist Sumit Jha, who later deleted it and issued an apology. However, other influencers and celebrities continued sharing the content without verifying its authenticity.
Describing the issue as a serious threat to democratic institutions, the Chief Minister said AI-generated misinformation could pose dangers in sensitive areas such as Indo-China and Indo-Pak borders. He added that such fake content could escalate into conflicts and warned that the unchecked spread of AI-manipulated visuals could become a crisis worse than a pandemic.
The Chief Minister directed officials to file a petition in court requesting an inquiry into the deliberate creation and dissemination of AI-generated fake content. He further instructed the strengthening of the state’s cybercrime division and emphasized the need to procure advanced forensic hardware and software tools to detect and counter AI-based misinformation.