Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has taken a bold legal step against YouTube and its parent company Google, filing a lawsuit in the Delhi High Court and seeking ₹4 crore in damages. Along with her husband, actor Abhishek Bachchan, she alleges that the platform hosted and monetized AI-generated deepfake videos that misused her image, voice, and personality in explicit and misleading ways. The case marks one of India’s biggest celebrity legal battles against artificial intelligence and online platforms, raising urgent questions about digital rights, platform accountability, and AI misuse.
Key Allegations & Evidence
- The lawsuits describe “egregious,” “sexually explicit,” and fictitious AI-manipulated videos using their identities.
- They have included hundreds of links and screenshots of such videos as evidence.
- The couple points to a YouTube channel, AI Bollywood Ishq, which allegedly uploaded over 259 manipulated clips with over 16.5 million views. One video in particular, showing Aishwarya and Salman Khan in a pool, has crossed ~4 million views.
- They argue that YouTube’s policy allowing videos to be used for AI model training makes the misuse more problematic: manipulated content could be replicated or amplified through AI systems.
Legal Context & Prior Moves
- Earlier, the Delhi High Court granted interim protection to Aishwarya Rai, ordering removal of unauthorized content using her image or likeness
- India currently lacks comprehensive “personality rights” legislation (unlike many U.S. states), making such lawsuits crucial in defining legal precedents.
- In recent years, courts in India have begun to intervene in celebrity identity misuse, especially with AI-generated content.
What the Courts Have Done So Far
- The Delhi High Court has asked Google’s legal team to submit written responses to the couple’s petitions.
- The court also ordered 518 specific URLs / posts cited in the petition to be taken down, noting they caused both financial and reputational harm.
- Next hearing is scheduled for January 15, 2026.
Why It Matters & Possible Implications
- This is one of the highest profile legal challenges in India around AI deepfakes, celebrity rights, and platform responsibility. The Indian Express
- The decision could help define how digital platforms like YouTube handle deepfake content, AI model training, and take-down mechanisms.
- It may push for clearer legal frameworks for personality and publicity rights in India, especially in the AI era.
- The outcome might influence how celebrities, public figures, and ordinary citizens protect their images and voices in digital spaces.
