Mumbai: Bollywood actors Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan have filed a lawsuit against YouTube and its parent company Google, seeking ₹4 crore (around $450,000) in damages over AI-generated deepfake videos circulating on the platform. The legal action follows a recent Delhi High Court order aimed at protecting the couple’s personality rights.
The petition, filed on September 6, requests the removal and permanent ban of videos that infringe upon their intellectual property rights and asks the court to direct YouTube to implement safeguards against misuse of their images, voices, and likeness for AI model training.
AI-generated content under scrutiny
According to legal documents reviewed by Reuters, the lawsuit targets “egregious” and “sexually explicit” AI-generated content. The couple contends that current YouTube policies allow further misuse as AI technologies advance, potentially multiplying the instances of infringing content.
The petition specifically refers to a YouTube channel, AI Bollywood Ishq, which reportedly hosts over 259 manipulated videos and has amassed more than 16.5 million views. Some of the widely viewed videos allegedly depict Aishwarya Rai Bachchan with actor Salman Khan in fabricated scenarios, while others show Abhishek Bachchan in altered situations, such as kissing an actress or reacting angrily to AI-altered content involving his wife.
The Bachchans argue that allowing such videos to train AI models could escalate the problem, creating an ever-growing number of fake videos across digital platforms. They stated, “Such content being used to train AI models has the potential to multiply the instances of use of any infringing content—first being uploaded on YouTube and viewed by the public, and then also used to train.”
YouTube policies under legal challenge
The lawsuit challenges YouTube’s policy allowing creators to consent to AI training using their uploaded content. The actors maintain that this could result in further misuse of personal likenesses and images, raising significant concerns about privacy and personality rights in India.
India currently lacks specific laws safeguarding personality rights, unlike jurisdictions such as the United States. In recent years, some Bollywood personalities have taken legal action to assert these rights, but the Bachchans’ case is among the most high-profile instances involving AI-generated deepfakes in India.
Significance and broader implications
The petition underscores the potential for repeated harm if AI-generated deepfakes are left unchecked. The Bachchans’ legal action highlights the urgent need for regulatory clarity around AI content, personality rights, and digital media protections in India. Legal experts suggest that cases like this could set important precedents for how AI misuse is addressed in the country.
By seeking stringent measures against AI-generated content and safeguards on YouTube, the actors aim to protect their image, reputation, and intellectual property, while drawing attention to the broader challenges posed by AI in the entertainment and digital sectors.
Conclusion
The lawsuit filed by Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan represents a landmark moment in India’s legal landscape for celebrity rights, privacy, and AI-generated content. The case could influence platform accountability, future legislation on AI misuse, and protection of personality rights for public figures.