Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today dismissed claims that his campaign videos are manipulated using Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Mr Patnaik’s response, delivered with characteristic calm and wit, urged the BJP to “use their own intelligence” instead of making baseless allegations.
In a video released by Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader and Mr Patnaik’s former private secretary VK Pandian, the latter directly addresses the AI allegations, asking the Chief Minister to respond. Mr Patnaik replies, “That’s great. They should use their own intelligence.”
The BJP’s accusations come at a critical time, coinciding with the fourth phase of elections in Odisha. The party has ramped up its campaign against the BJD, questioning Mr Patnaik’s fitness to govern. BJP’s Odisha unit chief Samir Mohanty yesterday cast doubt over the authenticity of Mr Patnaik’s video messages, suggesting that AI technology might be used to create deepfake videos. Mr Mohanty argued that if the Chief Minister were genuinely making these statements, he would also do so in public forums.
Senior BJP leaders, in the past few weeks of high-octane campaigning in Odisha, have echoed these concerns. At a recent press conference, BJP State President Manmohan Samal, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, BJP National Vice President Baijayant Panda, and MP Aparajita Sarangi collectively questioned Mr Patnaik’s fitness and capacity to lead.