Shilpa Shetty AI images to be removed on court orders

Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty filed a lawsuit alleging that AI-generated photos and videos circulating on the internet violated her personality rights, following which the Bombay High Court (BHC) rendered a decision on the matter on Friday.

The actress received significant relief when the court ordered the content to be removed from all social media platforms, finding the images to be “extremely disturbing and shocking.” Shetty had petitioned the court for an injunction against several websites, arguing that the AI-generated content—based on altered photos and videos of her—infringed upon her right to privacy and personality rights.

Justice Advait Sethna, who presided over the case, noted in his decision that the photos posted across various platforms were “highly disturbing” at first glance. The verdict stated:

“No personality—and more importantly, no human or female—can be represented in a manner that not only violates her fundamental right to privacy but is also done without her knowledge or consent.”

The ruling further clarified that the images were inappropriate and would cause irreparable harm to Shetty’s reputation. “In the interest of justice,” the High Court mandated that the defendants remove the specific URLs from their respective sites.

Shetty’s lawsuit also alleged that artificial intelligence algorithms were used to mimic her voice and movements to produce unlawful deepfakes, photos, and other unauthorized digital goods. She requested a permanent ban on websites exhibiting the offensive content and sought to prevent any future use of her name, voice, or likeness without prior permission.