HYDERABAD: The Telangana government has expressed serious concern over what it described as an artificially manufactured controversy on social media regarding the alleged takeover of Hyderabad Central University (HCU) land.
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy conducted a review meeting at the Secretariat over the court cases related to land in Kancha Gachibowli. The meeting was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka, Ministers Seethakka and Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari, DGP Jitender, PCCF R.M. Dobriyal, TSIIC MD Vishnuvardhan Reddy, and other officials from the concerned departments.
Officials informed the Chief Minister that several major developments have taken place over the past 25 years on land in Survey No. 25 at Kancha Gachibowli. These include the construction of institutions such as ISB, Gachibowli Stadium, IIIT, private buildings, residential apartments, and even structures of HCU itself. They noted that these constructions occurred without any protests or disputes related to environmental damage or wildlife conservation.
The review raised the question of why development of 400 acres of government land in the same survey number has now become controversial.
Authorities explained that some individuals had created and widely circulated misleading photos and videos on social media using artificial intelligence, portraying false narratives. This misinformation went viral nationally even before the actual facts could be clarified, posing a serious challenge for the government.
Police officials informed the CM that AI-generated content included fabricated visuals of peacocks crying and deer injured by bulldozers. This content was believed and shared by several prominent individuals, thereby intensifying the spread of falsehoods.
Among those who amplified the fake content were Union Minister Kishan Reddy, former Minister Jagadish Reddy, social media influencer Dhruv Rathee, and film celebrities like John Abraham, Dia Mirza, and Raveena Tandon. They reportedly posted these AI-generated visuals, believing them to be real, further misleading the public.
Officials pointed out that journalist Sumit Jha, who first posted one of the fake videos, later deleted it and apologised. However, other influencers continued to circulate the disinformation without verifying its authenticity.
The meeting discussed the severe threat posed by such AI-generated controversies to democratic institutions. Officials warned that if similar fake content were produced on sensitive issues like Indo-Pak or Indo-China border conflicts, it could potentially lead to war.
The session likened the spread of AI-generated fake videos and photos to a pandemic worse than the coronavirus. In light of this, the Chief Minister directed officials to petition the court for an inquiry into the creation of misleading AI content.
He also ordered the strengthening of the state’s cybercrime department to prevent such incidents in the future. Additionally, he instructed authorities to procure advanced forensic hardware and software tools capable of detecting fake AI content.