In the aftermath of the tragic crash of Air India Flight 171 in Ahmedabad that claimed 275 lives on June 12, the spread of misinformation, powered by AI-generated content, has stirred fresh concerns about digital disinformation during crises.A fake preliminary crash report, bearing aviation jargon and even emoji, went viral across aviation circles before being refuted by authorities, reported ET. The document was later found to be generated by artificial intelligence using details from a 2024 LATAM Airlines incident in South America.
Before the Indian government could label the report fake, news websites had already published stories based on it, misleading even aviation professionals.According to the ministry, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) retrieved and transported the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder (FDR) to New Delhi on June 24, over a week after their recovery but offered no explanation for the delay, as per ET.The information vacuum was quickly filled with fabricated visuals and narratives. Amit Relan, CEO of digital fraud detection firm mFilterIt was quoted by ET as saying, “We’ve observed a disturbing pattern in how bad actors are leveraging AI and social media platforms to spread misinformation and commit fraud during sensitive events like the Air India Flight 171 crash.”His firm identified not only deepfake videos of the crash aftermath but also fraudulent fundraising campaigns. “This is a classic case of emotionally-driven financial fraud,” Relan warned.Fact-checking group BOOM also flagged several AI-generated visuals, including doctored images showing the aircraft ablaze or falsely positioned outside Ahmedabad airport. These images, lacking disclaimers, were flagged by AI detectors as synthetic. BOOM confirmed the misleading nature of such content using AI verification tools.Former airline pilot and crash investigation consultant John Cox criticised the AAIB’s slow communication. “This is the most extensive case of misinformation that has been seen during any accident,” he told ET. “The AAIB should be having daily briefings as done by agencies across the globe. Because in the absence of information, it is misinformation that fills the void.”The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) also highlights the need for effective media communication during accident investigations, stating that “a well-planned and executed communication strategy can go a long way in minimising negative publicity and ensuring facts are reported in a timely and accurate manner.”Mishi Choudhary, founder of the Software Freedom Law Centre, stressed a multi-layered approach. “Each new disaster now presents new opportunities for disinformation peddlers,” she said. “This is not a problem that can be solved by enacting new laws. Platforms need to take responsibility by investing more to tackle misinformation in different languages.”As AI-generated content becomes more convincing and accessible, experts say India must adopt faster, transparent, and tech-integrated communication strategies, especially during national tragedies, to curb the rising tide of digital deception.
