In his words
These videos are fake. It is disturbing to see rampant misuse of technology.
Social media platforms need to be alert and responsive to complaints. Swift action from their end is crucial to stopping the spread of misinformation and deepfakes.
Biography
Sachin Tendulkar (born 1973 in Mumbai) is widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket, holding the records for most runs in both Test and one-day international cricket and revered across India as “the Little Master.” He retired in 2013 and remains one of the most recognizable athletes in the world.
Targeted by a deepfake
In January 2024 a doctored video circulated on social media showing Tendulkar appearing to endorse a mobile gaming app called Skyward Aviator Quest, with an AI-cloned voice claiming his daughter was earning money playing it. Tendulkar took to X to disown the video, warning that such fabrications were becoming rampant and urging platforms to act quickly. Mumbai police subsequently registered a case against the gaming site and a Facebook page under defamation and IT Act provisions.
The incident made Tendulkar one of the highest-profile figures in India to speak out against AI-generated impersonation, part of a wave of deepfake scams weaponizing celebrities to promote betting and gaming products. His statement framed the problem not as a personal grievance but as a systemic threat to the public, who could be deceived into handing money to fraudsters.
Where they stand in the war
Who backs them up
Sources & further reading
Canonical record: https://battlelines.ai/topic/sachin-tendulkar