Minister Prasada Warns of AI-Generated Misinformation Threatening Democracy

Union Minister Jitin Prasada issued a stark warning about the potential dangers of artificial intelligence at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi on Monday, emphasizing that AI-generated misinformation poses a significant threat to democratic systems worldwide.

“AI deep fakes and misinformation have the power to derail democracies,” said Prasada, who serves as Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology. “In a country like India, which is truly democratic with elections happening throughout the year at central, state, and municipal levels, misinformation using AI has the power to change people’s minds in the wrong fashion.”

The minister highlighted how particularly damaging this can be in electoral contexts, where citizens might vote based on false information circulated through AI tools. Once votes are cast based on manipulated content, the democratic process itself becomes compromised.

While acknowledging that government policy plays a crucial role in protecting citizens, Prasada stressed that addressing AI-related challenges requires a collective effort. “The government will make policies and do everything possible to ensure citizens are safe and their futures are protected, but everybody has to contribute,” he noted.

The minister’s comments reflect growing global concerns about AI’s potential misuse in political contexts. India, as the world’s largest democracy with over 900 million eligible voters, faces particular vulnerabilities to such technological manipulation.

Regarding education, Prasada emphasized that AI offers significant benefits for both students and teachers, but cautioned against viewing the technology as a shortcut. “We have to ensure that AI is not merely a subject in a school curriculum,” he said. “It’s about capacity building and equipping our young people so they can contribute meaningfully.”

He specifically warned against students using AI to complete homework assignments or bypass critical thinking processes. “It’s only a tool to better their lives and do something faster,” Prasada explained. “In the long run, using AI as a shortcut will be counterproductive.”

The minister firmly rejected the notion that AI could replace human educators, even as he acknowledged its potential as a supplementary tool. “Some people say an AI tutor is much better. But that doesn’t mean you want to replace a teacher. You can’t,” he stated.

Digital literacy emerged as another key theme in Prasada’s address, with the minister connecting it directly to national security concerns. “If you don’t get into digital literacy, then you have the vulnerability of falling to cyber threats,” he warned, underscoring how AI tools have added new dimensions to existing cybersecurity challenges.

Looking toward solutions, Prasada highlighted government initiatives to make non-personal data available to researchers and domestic industry. He characterized India’s vast data resources as a strategic advantage in the global AI landscape.

“We are ensuring that these data sets—which are non-personal and safe—are available. That is the real edge that India has,” he said. “We have data which no one else in the world has to that level, and for AI, as everybody knows, the fuel is data.”

The minister’s comments reflect India’s dual approach to AI development—embracing the technology’s transformative potential while remaining vigilant about its risks to democratic institutions, education systems, and national security.