GenAI is the new Godman in India

by Sarah Masud

Background: The lore of the spiritual East puts India in a unique position. The notion of spirituality and superstition runs deep in Indian society, no matter the race, religion or economic status. On the one hand, this lends itself to the community and collective lifestyle in India; on the other hand, it leaves us Indians susceptible to fraud by cults and godmen.

Stakeholders and use case - With increasing digitization, we are already seeing virtual prayers, online sermons, and even virtual tours of religious places gain prominence. Employing the rising popularity of GenAI-based audio tools, fraudsters are developing applications where GenAI is becoming the digital gurus for many Indians.

Story outline: As GenAI systems get better at learning newer dialects and accents, audio-based conversations become more pervasive. Given the auditory nature, the systems also appear more persuasive and adaptive to voice modulation based on context. It started as a simple use case of employing GenAI as a tool for mental health assistants and depressive and anxious people to find a digital friend to confide in and seek guidance from. But, soon, the systems recognize how gullible the population is, and in the hands of fraudulent stakeholders, mostly ex-godmen, now a larger population can be influenced. As AI regulations are not strictly defined, these nameless GenAI help the fraudsters amass vast amounts of wealth.