Faking Deep: An AI challenge
Recently, we came across one of the most threatening cases of misuse of artificial intelligence to create deep fake videos of eminent personalities to harm their reputations, which is not a very new incident in today’s AI-driven era. Let’s take the example of Rashmika Mandanna’s deepfake video. The first case of malicious use of deepfake was detected in pornography. According to sensity.ai, 96% of deepfake videos are pornographic videos, with over 135 million views on pornographic websites alone. Typically, deepfakes are used to purposely spread false information. They can be designed to harass, intimidate, demean, and undermine people. Deepfakes can also create misinformation and confusion about important issues.
Deepfake videos can be used to manipulate elections or political discourse by creating fake footage of politicians or public figures making controversial statements or engaging in inappropriate behaviour.
Just like a license to drive a motor vehicle, due to the advancement of internet technologies and their misuse, there might also be a need for licensing to use the internet to prevent individuals from misusing it. At the same time, there arises a big question: Are licensing regulations or proper training required to use the internet in the future?
Varjina Khakhlari
Gauhati University
Neeraj, the silver lining
Neeraj Chopra has made India proud by bagging another medal at the Olympics: silver. The ace javelin thrower had won gold four years ago in Tokyo. The final was tough, and every athlete on display on the night of the javelin finals was keen to prove a point or two. After Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem stunned everyone with a spectacular 92.97-meter throw, the pressure was squarely on the Indian champion. That was exactly why Neeraj had only one clean throw; he wanted to surpass Arshad by going the whole hog. In the process, he may have curbed his natural throwing process and instincts. However, as Neeraj rightly said after the finals, it was Arshad’s day because the latter clocked two 90 plus throws in the final—a personal and Olympic record.
It was an unbelievable performance by the lanky and sturdy Arshad, who broke the 16-year-old Olympic record of Norway’s Andreas Thorkildsen. That said, Neeraj, the only Indian after wrestler Sushil Kumar and badminton star PV Sindhu to win back-to-back individual medals at the Olympics, is not the one to take the gold loss lying down. The 26-year-old has had niggling injuries of late that have slowed down his speed towards the throw. But the champion has set a high benchmark for himself. It’s a tribute to Neeraj’s perseverance, persistence, and, of course, talent that even when not at his very best, he is the second best at the Olympics. The coming days should see a rejuvenated Neeraj Chopra.
Dr Ganapathi Bhat
gbhat13@gmail.com
Unauthorized transactions
As per the instructions of the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, no sale or service (or any other related activity) can be denied by any shop, by any establishment, or by any commercial or trade body if a customer or consumer does not share his or her mobile number. The ministry shared the communications of the Union Government with various trade and commerce bodies and organizations on this subject in response to an RTI application.
However, we find that many shops, commercial establishments, and trade establishments are still making it compulsory for customers to share their mobile numbers. An example of this is the PVR-Inox Cinemas at City Centre, Guwahati. The personnel at the counter refuse to sell cinema tickets without a customer sharing his or her mobile number. This is fraught with danger, especially in this age of cybercrime and digital threats. Further, this is flaunting the instructions of the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs.
We urge, through this column, the local law enforcement agencies and the departments concerned to urgently investigate the matter and take corrective action on such illegal activities by certain shops, trade, and commercial establishments.
D Bhutia,
Guwahati
VIP culture
I, as a septuagenarian citizen of the state, was highly moved by our CM’s instructions to all the DCs and SPs to do away with VIP culture. We still remember with utmost disgust the VIP culture practiced by the then CMs of the state, namely Syeda Anowara Taimur, Hiteswar Saikia, and Tarun Gogoi, who had a convoy of around 45 vehicles while passing through the city’s main thoroughfares in peak hours, thereby bringing traffic to a standstill and even not sparing emergency services like ambulances. These VIPs believed that they were the masters, not the servants of the people. Our CM has very rightly cut down the number of escorting vehicles to 8, which no doubt gives great respite to common commuters. His direction on the food menu to be served to the VIPs is also laudable, as there was an instance when a DC was publicly pulled up for serving a sumptuous lunch to VIPs in Nalbari.
A down-to-earth CM like Himanta Biswa Sarma is the need of the hour.
Lanu Dutt Chowdhury,
Guwahati.
Concerns regarding hotel construction in Kaziranga
We seek clarity on several pressing issues regarding the proposed five-star hotels by Hyatt and Taj Group. Are these developments inside or outside the Eco-Sensitive Zone of Kaziranga National Park? Has the state government secured all necessary permissions from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change? Was a public hearing conducted?
Additionally, were the World Heritage Site regulations duly followed, and why has the UNESCO consultancy ICOMOS’s advice been overlooked? We urge the government to define its stance on the question: tourism for Kaziranga or Kaziranga for tourism?
We implore the government to reconsider prioritizing environmental preservation over transient luxury, as Kaziranga’s ecological balance is irreplaceable. The focus should remain on safeguarding this natural treasure for future generations.
Mowsam Hazarika
Bharalumukh, Guwahati