Key Points
Within 24 hours, two major global digital platforms have reported taking action against foreign actors attempting to vitiate the Indian general elections..
In the first such case, OpenAI, which operates the popular generative AI platform ChatGPT, reported having taken action against private actors operating out of Israel who were attempting to use the AI platform deceptively to vitiate the Indian elections with content favouring the Congress party...
Around the same time, Meta, which operates Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, reported having taken action against entities operating out of China that were propagating anti-India and pro-Khalistani content to influence the Sikh populace abroad...
These simultaneous reports by OpenAI and Meta are but the tip of the iceberg on the deliberate and concerted manner in which tools of disinformation have been employed not only to delegitimise the Indian general elections but also to foment disaffection against the Narendra Modi-led BJP government...
As the 2024 general elections come to an end, the challenge for India would be to stare down these concerted attempts at disinformation and deliberate efforts to foment disaffection, for the success of Indian democracy under Narendra Modis leadership threatens both Chinese authoritarianism and Western liberalism alike...
