NEW DELHI: WhatsApp said Wednesday it was “horrified” by a spate of lynchings in India sparked by false rumors shared on its platform as the government accused the messaging service of irresponsibility.
More than 20 people have been killed in India in the last two months, according to media reports, after rumors were spread on smartphones about child kidnappers, thieves and sexual predators.
The attacks — usually targeting outsiders — have left authorities scrambling to mount an effective response, with awareness campaigns and public alerts having limited effect.
A stern statement issued by the electronics and IT ministry late on Tuesday expressed the government’s “deep disapproval” to the senior management of WhatsApp over the “irresponsible and explosive messages.”
“The government has also conveyed in no uncertain terms that WhatsApp must take immediate action to end this menace,” it added.
In a letter to the Indian government, WhatsApp said it “cares deeply about people’s safety” and had taken steps to combat the scourge of fake news and hoaxes.
“We’re horrified by these terrible acts of violence and wanted to respond quickly to the very important issues you have raised,” WhatsApp said in the letter seen by AFP.
The company said it was working with Indian researchers to better understand the problem and had introduced changes it said would reduce the spread of unwanted messages.
It would also soon launch a new label in India to help users identify messages that had been forwarded as opposed to written by someone they know.
Rumors on WhatsApp about child kidnappers saw eight men killed in eastern Indian last year but the same information has since resurfaced.
Attacks have been reported in at least 11 states recently, most recently in Maharashtra where five men were bludgeoned to death by a crazed mob on Sunday.
Last week a “rumor buster” official tasked with warning the public against such hoaxes was killed in northeastern Tripura.
With more than 200 million users, India is WhatsApp’s biggest market. Its parent company Facebook has also been grappling with a global data privacy scandal.
WhatsApp said it planned to run a public safety campaign in India “given its importance” to the company, and mentioned efforts by police to use its platform to raise awareness about its misuse.
“We believe that false news, misinformation and the spread of hoaxes are issues best tackled collectively: by government, civil society and technology companies working together,” WhatsApp said.
“With the right action we can help improve everyone’s safety.”
WhatsApp ‘horrified’ over India lynchings, promises action
WhatsApp ‘horrified’ over India lynchings, promises action
OpenAI’s Altman says world ‘urgently’ needs AI regulation
- Sam Altman, head of ChatGPT maker OpenAI, told a global artificial intelligence conference on Thursday that the world “urgently” needs to regulate the fast-evolving technology
NEW DELHI: Sam Altman, head of ChatGPT maker OpenAI, told a global artificial intelligence conference on Thursday that the world “urgently” needs to regulate the fast-evolving technology.
An organization could be set up to coordinate these efforts, similar to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), he said.
Altman is one of a host of top tech CEOs in New Delhi for the AI Impact Summit, the fourth annual global meeting on how to handle advanced computing power.
“Democratization of AI is the best way to ensure humanity flourishes,” he said on stage, adding that “centralization of this technology in one company or country could lead to ruin.”
“This is not to suggest that we won’t need any regulation or safeguards,” Altman said.
“We obviously do, urgently, like we have for other powerful technologies.”
Many researchers and campaigners believe stronger action is needed to combat emerging issues, ranging from job disruption to sexualized deepfakes and AI-enabled online scams.
“We expect the world may need something like the IAEA for international coordination of AI,” with the ability to “rapidly respond to changing circumstances,” Altman said.
“The next few years will test global society as this technology continues to improve at a rapid pace. We can choose to either empower people or concentrate power,” he added.
“Technology always disrupts jobs; we always find new and better things to do.”
Generative AI chatbot ChatGPT has 100 million weekly users in India, more than a third of whom are students, he said.
Earlier on Thursday, OpenAI announced with Indian IT giant Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) a plan to build data center infrastructure in the South Asian country.
