Deepfake dadajis make it to the shaadi, thanks to AI

At first glance, it appears to be an ordinary wedding with shehnai in the background. But soon, the music dips and a large screen lights up to reveal a set of gates amidst the clouds. They part, and a staircase emerges.

And then a familiar figure descends — someone deceased but now resplendent in wedding regalia, greeting family members, blessing the couple, sometimes even speaking. Across India, some families are using AI animated deepfakes for resurrecting deceased loved ones — also called deadbots or griefbots — in wedding montages, or even conversational avatars in celebratory videos.