Combatting AI deepfakes to safeguard Indian cricketers’ image rights
Combatting AI deepfakes to safeguard Indian cricketers’ image rights
Publish Date: 2026-07-14 06:53:00
Source Domain: www.wipo.int
-
Rise of AI-generated deepfakes: The article discusses how synthetic AI-generated deepfakes pose significant challenges to protecting the personality and publicity rights of women, especially in the context of India’s women’s cricket team.
-
Victory at ICC Women’s World Cup: The Indian women’s cricket team’s triumph in the 2025 ICC Women’s World Cup is highlighted as a cultural victory, but it also exposed vulnerabilities in legal frameworks amid the incorporation of generative artificial intelligence (genAI).
-
AI-generated moment marketing: Brands began using genAI tools to create celebratory posts following the Indian cricket team’s victory to capitalize on national pride. This has led to the unauthorized use and potential infringement of athletes’ personality rights.
-
Legal and ethical challenges: The widespread and unauthorized use of AI-generated content highlights significant legal challenges regarding unauthorized use of players’ images, personality rights, and the fundamental right to dignity, as seen in growing cases like Kajol’s deepfake ruling.
-
Gender-specific vulnerabilities: The article points out that while male athletes often face counterfeit issues, female athletes are more frequently subjected to AI-driven harassment, including beautification, sexualization, and the creation of compromising deepfakes.
-
Economic disparity in women’s cricket: Even with the high valuation of women’s cricket franchises such as the Women’s Premier League (WPL), there is a significant economic gap between franchise values and individual player earnings, making players vulnerable to unauthorized use of their likeness by brands.
-
Opportunity for legal reform: The rise in AI-generated deepfakes offers an opportunity to discuss and potentially reform laws to better protect individual personality rights and tackle the ethical implications of AI in sports marketing.
-
Authors’ expertise and emphasis on legal protection: Highlighting the expertise of authors Dr. Tania Sebastian and Saraswathy Vaidyanathan, the piece underscores the necessity for extensive deliberations on legal protection and the intersection of IP, AI, and gender justice.
