Bombay HC orders removal of ‘extremely disturbing’ AI-morphed photos of Shilpa Shetty

The Bombay High Court on Friday ruled in favour of actor Shilpa Shetty in a plea seeking protection against the misuse of her personality rights through AI-generated morphed photos and videos online.

The court described the images as “extremely disturbing and shocking” and ordered their deletion from social media platforms, providing significant relief to the actor.

Bombay HC rules in Shilpa Shetty’s favour

Shilpa had approached the court to safeguard her personality rights and sought an order against websites and AI-generated content allegedly featuring morphed and manipulated images and videos of her. Justice Advait Sethna, who heard the case, noted that the pictures posted online were “prima facie extremely disturbing” and stated that “no personality, much less a person, and especially a woman, can be portrayed in a fashion that affects her fundamental right to privacy, without her knowledge or consent.”

Court’s directives

The court observed that the images were inappropriate and unacceptable, noting that such portrayals could tarnish Shilpa Shetty’s image and reputation. “In the interest of justice,” it directed all defendants to remove the URLs carrying the content from their respective platforms.

Shilpa Shetty’s suit

In her lawsuit, Shilpa alleged that AI tools had been used to clone her voice and mannerisms to create morphed images, books, and other merchandise without her authorisation. She sought an injunction against all websites hosting such content and requested they be restrained from using her name, voice, or image without permission.

Shilpa was last seen on the big screen in the 2023 dramedy Sukhee, which starred her in the titular role but was not a commercial success. She is set to return to theatres in 2026 with the Kannada pan-India film KD: The Devil, alongside Dhruva Sarja, Sanjay Dutt, Reeshma Nanaiah, Jisshu Sengupta, and Nora Fatehi.