Janhvi Kapoor Opens Up About Early Deepfake Experience
Actress Janhvi Kapoor recently shared a troubling memory from her school days about her first encounter with manipulated images, often referred to as deepfakes. During an appearance on the Raj Shamani Podcast, she explained how this experience impacted her understanding of digital ethics and the importance of consent.
Reflecting on the past, Kapoor recounted a surprising incident: “I don’t know if it was technically a deepfake, but it felt similar. I discovered that my picture was on a porn site. We had IT class, and the boys would visit those sites for fun, and there I was. This happened while I was still in school, and it was a bizarre experience.”
The incident forced her to confront some of the darker sides of fame at a young age. “At one point, I wondered, ‘Is this just part of the price for being in the public eye?’ It seemed like there’s no morality in these situations. With social media, many people just throw things out there. While there’s a growing awareness of ethics, much of the problem still exists. A lot of people think it’s normal—this happens when you’re famous,” she remarked.
Kapoor also voiced her concerns about the rising use of AI-generated images that misrepresent her. “I’m not comfortable with it. There are images of me circulating, even from official news sources, that are entirely AI-generated. I’ve never worn those outfits or posed like that, yet they are presented as real, shaping a false impression of me,” she noted.
She highlighted how this could affect her career: “If I’m working on a film and express discomfort about wearing something, a director might respond, ‘But you’ve already done this—people have seen it.’”
Despite her unease, Kapoor feels limited in how much she can speak out. “This makes me question what moral guidelines exist. It frustrates me, of course. But I often feel like my voice isn’t strong enough to address it without facing criticism. People might argue, ‘You have so much already, why complain?’ But this issue isn’t just mine; others have faced similar challenges,” she concluded.
Her experiences shed light on ongoing discussions around the misuse of AI, the need for digital consent, and the urgent call for stronger ethical standards in our tech-driven world.
