Jan Suraaj distances itself from fake AI content row involving Muzaffarpur youth

Patna: Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party on Saturday distanced itself from a Muzaffarpur youth who was arrested for allegedly creating and circulating AI-generated fake videos and audio clips of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu.The youth was arrested on Friday and sent to jail, Muzaffarpur cyber deputy superintendent of police Himanshu Kumar said.“We don’t have information that any such person is associated with our party... None with this name is working with the party in Muzaffarpur,” Jan Suraaj spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan said on Saturday. He added that the party does not promote any element working against the President, the PM or anyone else. The case came to light after Muzaffarpur police, during the investigation, found an alleged link between the youth and Jan Suraaj. Police officials said they recovered a video from the @jansuraajbochaha page and wrote to Meta seeking its removal. Investigators are also examining other videos allegedly edited and circulated by him.Police said the motive behind the AI-generated fake content appeared to be financial gain. “The accused was doing this for the past one-and-a-half years to make money and create confusion. He was arrested and sent to jail,” cyber Dy SP Kumar told TOI on Saturday.According to police, the youth edited and shared fabricated content on social media by misusing the names, images and voices of the President and the Prime Minister. “The objective behind the AI-generated content was to mislead the public, undermine the dignity, prestige and trust associated with the highest constitutional offices of the country, create distrust towards democratic institutions, and adversely affect social harmony and law and order,” a police statement said.