#FactCheck - Video Showing Sadhus in Ice Is Artificially Generated
Executive Summary
A video showing a group of Hindu ascetics (sadhus) allegedly performing intense penance while their bodies appear to be covered in ice is being widely shared on social media. Users are circulating the video as real and claiming that it represents an ancient tradition of Sanatan Dharma. CyberPeace research found the viral claim to be false.The research revealed that the video circulating on social media is not real but has been generated using artificial intelligence (AI).
Claim
On social media platform Facebook, a user shared the viral video on January 16, 2026. The video shows several ascetics engaged in penance, with their bodies seemingly covered in ice. Users shared the video while claiming that it depicts an authentic spiritual practice rooted in Sanatan Dharma.
Links to the post, archive link, and screenshots can be seen below.
Fact Check:
To verify the authenticity of the viral claim, CyberPeace searched relevant keywords on Google. However, no credible or reliable media reports supporting the claim were found. A close examination of the viral video raised suspicion that it may have been AI-generated. To verify this, the video was analysed using the AI detection tool Hive Moderation. According to the results, the video was found to be 99 percent AI-generated.
In the next step of the research, the same video was analysed using another AI detection tool, Sightengine. The results again indicated that the video was 99 percent AI-generated.
Conclusion
CyberPeace concludes that the video circulating on social media is not real. The viral video showing ascetics covered in ice was generated using artificial intelligence and does not depict an actual religious or spiritual practice.
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AI systems have grown in both popularity and complexity on which they operate. They are enhancing accessibility for all, including people with disabilities, by revolutionising sectors including healthcare, education, and public services. We are at the stage where AI-powered solutions that can help people with mental, physical, visual or hearing impairments perform everyday and complex tasks are being created.
Generative AI is now being used to amplify human capability. The development of tools for speech-to-text and image recognition is helping in facilitating communication and interaction for visually or hearing-impaired individuals, and smart prosthetics are providing tailored support. Unfortunately, even with these developments, PWDs have continued to face challenges. Therefore, it is important to balance innovation with ethical considerations aand ensuring that these technologies are designed with qualities like privacy, equity, and inclusivity in mind.
Access to Tech: the Barriers Faced by PWDs
PWDs face several barriers while accessing technology. Identifying these challenges is important as they lack computer accessibility, in the use of hardware and software, which has become a norm in life nowadays. Website functions that only work when users click with a mouse, self-service kiosks without accessibility features, touch screens without screen reader software or tactile keyboards, and out-of-order equipment, such as lifts, captioning mirrors and description headsets, are just some difficulties that they face in their day-to-day life.
While they are helpful, much of the current technology doesn’t fully address all disabilities. For example, many assistive devices focus on visual or mobility impairments, but they fall short of addressing cognitive or sensory conditions. In addition to this, these solutions often lack personalisation, making them less effective for individuals with diverse needs. AI has significant potential to bridge this gap. With adaptive systems like voice assistants, real-time translation, and personalised features, AI can create more inclusive solutions, improving access to both digital and physical spaces for everyone.
The Importance of Inclusive AI Design
Creating an Inclusive AI design is important. It ensures that PWDs are not excluded from technological advancements because of the impairments that they are suffering from. The concept of an ‘inclusive or universal’ design promotes creating products and services that are usable for the widest possible range of people. Tech Developers have an ethical responsibility to create advancements in AI that serve everyone. Accessibility features should be built into the core design. They should be treated as a practice rather than an afterthought. However, bias in AI development often stems from data of a non-representative nature, or assumptions can lead to systems that overlook or poorly serve PWDs. If AI algorithms are trained on limited or biased data, they risk excluding marginalised groups, making ethical, inclusive design a necessity for equity and accessibility.
Regulatory Efforts to Ensure Accessible AI
In India, the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act of 2016 impresses upon the need to provide PWDs with equal accessibility to technology. Subsequently, the DPDP Act of 2023 highlights data privacy concerns for the disabled under section 9 to process their data.
On the international level, the newly incorporated EU’s AI Act mandates measures for transparent, safe, and fair access to AI systems along with including measures that are related to accessibility.
In the US, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 508 of the 1998 amendment to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 are the primary legislations that work on promoting digital accessibility in public services.
Challenges in implementing Regulations for AI Accessibility for PWDs
Defining the term ‘inclusive AI’ is a challenge. When working on implementing regulations and compliance for the accessibility of AI, if the primary work is left undefined, it makes the task of creating tools to address the issue an issue. The rapid pace of tech and AI development has more often outpaced legal frameworks in development. This leads to the creation of enforcement gaps. Countries like Canada and tech industry giants like Microsoft and Google are leading forces behind creating accessible AI innovations. Their regulatory frameworks focus on developing AI ethics with inclusivity and collaboration with disability rights groups.
India’s efforts in creating an inclusive AI include the redesign of the Sugamya Bharat app. The app had been created to assist PWDs and the elderly. It will now be incorporating AI features specifically to assist the intended users.
Though AI development has opportunities for inclusivity, unregulated development can be risky. Regulation plays a critical role in ensuring that AI-driven solutions prioritise inclusivity, fairness, and accessibility, harnessing AI’s potential to empower PWDs and contribute to a more inclusive society.
Conclusion
AI development can offer PWDs unprecedented independence and accessibility in leading their lives. The development of AI while keeping inclusivity and fairness in mind is needed to be prioritised. AI that is free from bias, combined with robust regulatory frameworks, together are essential in ensuring that AI serves equitably. Collaborations between tech developers, policymakers, and disability advocates need to be supported and promoted to build AI systems. This will in turn work towards bridging the accessibility gaps for PWDs. As AI continues to evolve, maintaining a steadfast commitment to inclusivity will be crucial in preventing marginalisation and advancing true technological progress for all.
References
- https://www.business-standard.com/india-news/over-1-4k-accessibility-related-complaints-filed-on-govt-app-75-solved-124090800118_1.html
- https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbesbusinesscouncil/2023/06/16/empowering-individuals-with-disabilities-through-ai-technology/ .
- https://hbr.org/2023/08/designing-generative-ai-to-work-for-people-with-disabilities
- Thehttps://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2018/05/07/using-ai-to-empower-people-with-disabilities/andensur,personalization
Executive Summary:
A video from an India TV news show related to the Assam elections is going viral on social media. In the clip, anchor Meenakshi Joshi is allegedly seen claiming that there is a rift between the BJP and the RSS in Assam. The video further suggests that RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi stating that former Congress members have taken over the BJP, and that RSS volunteers would not work for the party in Assam. However, a research by the CyberPeace found that the viral video is edited and misleading. The original video contains no such claims.
Claim:
A social media user Ajit Singh shared the video on X with the caption:“The core idea of today’s BJP is to capture power by any means. We have been saying this for long, and now even RSS has accepted that BJP in Assam has been taken over by Congress mindset.”
Fact Check:
To verify the claim, we searched relevant keywords about the alleged letter by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However, we found no credible media reports supporting this claim. We then checked the YouTube channel of India TV but could not find the viral clip there. During the search, we did find a similar video from Meenakshi Joshi’s show. In the beginning of that video, the portion seen in the viral clip appears.
In the original video, the anchor is discussing the announcement of election dates in five states. There is no mention of any rift between the BJP and RSS in Assam.
Conclusion:
The viral India TV video claiming a rift between the BJP and RSS in Assam is edited and misleading. The original broadcast was about election dates in five states and did not include any such claims.
A video clip of journalist Palki Sharma is being widely shared on social media. Along with the video, it is being claimed that during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent Middle East visit, she questioned Jordan’s diplomatic protocol.
In the viral clip, Palki Sharma is allegedly seen asking why Jordan’s King Abdullah II did not come to the airport to receive Prime Minister Modi, and whether this indicated a downgrade in the level of welcome.
However, an investigation by the Cyber Peace Foundation found this claim to be misleading. The probe revealed that while the visuals in the viral video are genuine, the audio has been altered using Artificial Intelligence (AI).
On the social media platform ‘X’, a user named “Ammar Solangi” shared this video on 18 December. The post claimed that the video was related to questions raised about Jordan’s diplomatic protocol during Prime Minister Modi’s visit. According to the post, Palki Sharma questioned why King Abdullah II did not receive Prime Minister Modi at the airport. The archive link of the viral post can be seen here: https://ghostarchive.org/archive/26aK0
Verification
During the investigation, the fact-check desk noticed the ‘Firstpost’ logo in the top-left corner of the viral video. Based on this clue, a customized Google search was conducted, which led to the original news report.
The investigation revealed that the viral video was taken from an episode of journalist Palki Sharma’s show “Vantage with Palki Sharma”, which aired on 17 December.
Analysis of the video showed that the visuals appearing at the 33 minutes 30 seconds timestamp in the original report exactly match those used in the viral clip. However, in the original broadcast, Palki Sharma neither questioned Jordan’s protocol nor made any comment about King Abdullah II not being present at the airport.
In the original video, Palki Sharma says:
“Prime Minister Modi was on a diplomatic tour of Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman, and in Jordan he was received at the airport by the country’s Prime Minister…” The link to the original report can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VYZYe9l6Bs
AI Audio Examination
Further investigation involved separating the audio from the viral video and analyzing it using the AI voice detection tool ‘Resemble AI’. The tool’s results confirmed that fake, AI-generated audio had been added over the real footage in the viral clip to spread a misleading claim. A screenshot of the results from this examination can be seen below.
Conclusion
The video being circulated in the name of journalist Palki Sharma has been tampered with. Her voice has been altered using AI technology, and the claim made regarding the Jordan visit is completely misleading.
