Delhi High Court Backs Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in AI Deepfake Case, Bans Misuse of Her Identity
Aishwarya Rai’s petition revealed that the accused had used AI and deepfake technology to digitally alter her face onto sexually explicit videos and images.
The Delhi High Court has ruled in favour of Bollywood actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, issuing strong protection over her identity after she approached the court over the misuse of her name and image through artificial intelligence and deepfake technology.
In a hearing on Thursday, Justice Tejas Karia stated that the unauthorized use of Rai’s name, image, or likeness violates her right to privacy, dignity, and personal reputation. The court said such exploitation not only causes emotional and reputational harm but also results in financial loss.
The court issued an ex parte ad interim injunction, barring several known and unknown parties from using her full name, initials (“ARB”), photographs, or any other identifiable traits for any personal or commercial gain. This includes AI-generated content, deepfakes, face-morphing, and machine learning tools across all platforms.
“Using someone’s identity without consent can mislead the public and falsely imply endorsement,” the court said, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding personality rights. “These rights protect individuals from exploitation of their name, image, or likeness.”
The court’s intervention comes after Rai filed a plea to stop the circulation of AI-generated pornographic content featuring her likeness. Her lawyer, senior advocate Sandeep Sethi, told the court that explicit and entirely fake images and videos of the actor were being spread online using deepfake tech.
“Her face has been morphed into sexually explicit material. This is entirely false, extremely damaging, and violates her dignity,” Sethi said. He also pointed out the illegal use of her image on merchandise like mugs and T-shirts.
The court directed Google to remove the listed URLs within 72 hours and to submit user data related to the uploads in sealed cover. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology was also ordered to block the offending links within a week.
Acknowledging her global stature as one of India’s most celebrated actors and brand ambassadors, the court noted that such misuse of her persona could significantly damage her reputation and dilute the goodwill she has built over the years.