AI Deepfake Threat Sparks Global Crackdown as Nations Rush to Pass New Laws

AI Deepfake Threat Sparks Global Crackdown as Nations Rush to Pass New Laws Governments around the world are enacting new laws and regulations to combat a surge in artificial intelligence-generated forgeries, known as deepfakes, which are increasingly being used to manipulate elections and spread misinformation [57866][56357][12872][55923]. The legislative push follows high-profile incidents where AI was used to fabricate political events. In Nepal, a deepfake video showing three prominent political figures forming an alliance spread online ahead of national elections, despite the meeting never occurring [57866]. Separately, a consortium of global experts, including Nobel laureate Maria Ressa, has warned that "AI bot swarms" could be deployed to sabotage the 2028 U.S. presidential election by imitating humans and flooding social media with disinformation [56357]. In response, South Korea has enacted the world's first comprehensive AI safety law, placing direct legal responsibility on developers and service providers to prevent harmful AI-generated content like deepfakes and misinformation [55923]. India has also proposed new rules requiring technology companies to identify and remove such false content from their platforms [12872]. Experts warn that the technology makes it easy to fabricate convincing videos of people saying or doing things they never did, posing a direct threat to democratic processes [57866]. Political analysts are calling for urgent public awareness campaigns to improve media literacy, arguing that teaching citizens to identify digital forgeries is now critical for defending democracy [57866]. The global regulatory scramble highlights the growing recognition that AI's capacity for digital forgery has outpaced existing legal frameworks, forcing nations to establish new accountability for AI developers [55923][12872]. Fake Leaders, Real Fear: AI Deepfakes Target Nepal Election AI Bot Swarms Could Sabotage 2028 U.S. Election, Experts Warn India Proposes New Rules to Combat Deepfake Threat World's First AI Safety Law Enacted, Targets Deepfakes and Misinformation