ARTIFICIAL intelligence (AI) is speedily becoming popular as more and more people use it to save some time. As a consequence, it is now impossible to say with certainty whether a particular video clip is fake or real. We know that there are many people who go berserk when they see videos of their womenfolk dancing or even photos in which they are seen seated next to men who are not their close relatives. What if someone posts on social media a fake video or ‘edited’ photo of a woman who has rejected his advances, and sends it to her relatives?

At another level, things have got so bad that it is now impossible to even talk to others without getting into an argument. If, for example, I mention a video of a cult leader saying something controversial, the immediate response is, ‘it is probably AI-generated’.

Of course, there is a positive side to it as well. In schools, we were taught that political and religious topics should be avoided when talking to both friends and strangers. That is what we all should practice now during our social media interactions. The only safe thing left is sports, like, say, cricket. I know for sure that I will not be lynched if I say that a particular cricketer does not deserve to be selected for the next tour.

A much more serious problem is likely to surface in a few decades from now. Fortunately, I will not be alive then. When robots become increasingly like humans in appearance, how will someone know if the man or woman talking to them is real?

Shakir Lakhani
Karachi

Published in Dawn, January 12th, 2026