New Delhi

The Delhi High Court is set to pronounce its order on Wednesday on an interim application filed by Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha, who has sought protection against the alleged misuse of his personality rights through AI-generated deepfakes, morphed images and manipulated social media content.

Justice Subramonium Prasad had reserved the order after hearing extensive arguments from both sides.

During the proceedings, the court observed that the material placed before it appeared, at first glance, to concern criticism of a political decision rather than a straightforward violation of personality rights. It also noted that satire and criticism of political leaders have historically formed an integral part of public discourse.

The Bench further remarked that the line separating defamation from legitimate criticism is often narrow, underscoring the need to balance an individual's right to reputation and dignity with the constitutional guarantee of free speech under Article 19.

Appearing for Chadha, Senior Advocate Rajiv Nayar argued that the content circulating online went far beyond political criticism. He submitted that AI-generated videos, manipulated visuals and abusive posts falsely portrayed the AAP leader as having changed his political allegiance in exchange for money, causing serious damage to his reputation.

During the hearing, the court also indicated it may appoint an amicus curiae to assist in addressing the broader legal issues raised by the case, particularly those involving the intersection of artificial intelligence, personality rights, freedom of speech and the right to dignity.

Counsel representing Meta disputed the allegations, contending that several of the screenshots relied upon by Chadha were either newspaper reports or otherwise innocuous content that did not support the claims made in the suit.

In his petition, Chadha has sought protection against the alleged unauthorised use of his image, voice, likeness and identity through AI-generated and digitally manipulated content shared across social media platforms.

He has requested the court to restrain the creation and circulation of deepfakes, morphed videos, synthetic voice clones, fabricated speeches and other deceptive content allegedly using his persona without consent. According to the suit, such material has the potential to mislead the public, harm his reputation and falsely attribute statements or actions to him.

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The case is among a growing number before the Delhi High Court concerning personality and publicity rights in the age of artificial intelligence. In recent years, the court has granted relief to several public figures against the unauthorised use of their names, voices and likenesses through AI-generated or digitally altered content, reflecting the evolving legal framework governing emerging technologies.