Deepfakes Threaten Democracy: Om Birla
AI must uphold truth, boost transparency and drive Viksit Bharat 2047, says Lok Sabha Speaker
- Warns deepfakes and misinformation can undermine democratic trust
- AI to make democracy transparent, accountable and citizen-centric
- Digital Parliament, Sansad Bhashini enhance public access
- India’s digital infrastructure hailed as global model
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 21st Feb: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Friday warned that deepfakes and misinformation pose serious threats to democracy, asserting that Artificial Intelligence must strengthen truth and credibility rather than distort or suppress facts.
Addressing the special session on “AI for Democracy” at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 held at Bharat Mandapam, the Speaker underlined the urgent need to build robust safeguards alongside technological advancement to prevent manipulation of democratic discourse.
He said AI has the potential to make democracy more transparent, accountable and citizen-centric, aligning with India’s civilisational ethos of “Sarvajan Hitaya, Sarvajan Sukhaya.”
Highlighting institutional reforms, he noted that the Digital Parliament initiative has made parliamentary proceedings paperless, modern and environmentally sustainable. AI tools have helped organise thousands of hours of debates and records, making them searchable and accessible, thereby enhancing transparency and enabling citizens to monitor the performance of elected representatives.
Referring to India’s linguistic diversity, the Speaker pointed to the Sansad Bhashini initiative, which uses AI-enabled translation tools to make parliamentary debates available in multiple regional languages. This, he said, strengthens public trust and democratic participation across the country.
He stated that India’s digital public infrastructure, with its scale and inclusivity, has become a global benchmark. AI-driven systems are also helping Members of Parliament better understand constituency needs, enabling more informed policymaking.
Emphasising inclusive development, he said AI applications in education, healthcare and agriculture would accelerate the journey toward Viksit Bharat 2047. Improved access to quality education, enhanced healthcare delivery and data-driven farming solutions can transform millions of lives, especially in underserved sectors.
While advocating adoption of emerging technologies, the Speaker cautioned that AI cannot replace human sensitivity and ethical judgment. “AI is a means, not an end,” he observed, stressing that democratic values and moral standards must guide technological deployment.
He expressed confidence that deliberations at the session would contribute to shaping a future where innovation and democratic principles advance together.
