Bollywood stars Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan have taken Google’s YouTube to court in New Delhi, demanding protection against AI-generated videos that misuse their personas and seeking safeguards to prevent such content from training other artificial intelligence platforms.The high-profile lawsuit, filed on September 6, targets deepfake and misleading YouTube videos that the actors claim infringe their intellectual property rights. Beyond requesting removal of existing AI content, the couple wants Google to implement measures ensuring uploaded videos cannot be used to train rival AI models without proper consent, according to legal documents reviewed by Reuters.
YouTube’s AI training policy under fire
The Bachchans argue that YouTube’s current policy—which allows creators to opt in for sharing their videos to train AI platforms like OpenAI, Meta, and xAI—is deeply concerning. They contend that biased or negative AI content portraying them could teach AI models false information, leading to further spread of misleading material.The lawsuits, spanning 1,500 pages, include hundreds of links and screenshots showing what the actors describe as “egregious” and “sexually explicit” AI-manipulated videos. One example shows Abhishek using AI manipulation to kiss an actress, while another depicts Aishwarya dining with her former partner, actor Salman Khan, as Abhishek watches angrily.
Growing concern for celebrity rights in India
The Delhi High Court has already ordered 518 website links and posts to be removed, citing financial harm and damage to the couple’s dignity. The next hearing is scheduled for January 15, with the actors seeking $450,000 in damages and a permanent injunction.Reuters found numerous similar infringing videos still on YouTube, including a channel called “AI Bollywood Ishq” with 259 videos garnering 16.5 million views. The case represents the most significant legal challenge yet regarding personality rights and AI in India, where explicit protections for celebrity personas don’t exist unlike in many U.S. states.With India being YouTube’s largest market at around 600 million users, the lawsuit could significantly impact how the platform handles AI-generated celebrity content and video-sharing consent policies, Reuters reported.
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