Poonam Pandey, known for her advocacy on free speech and digital rights, responded swiftly. In an Instagram live, she addressed the rumors: " This is yet another smear campaign to silence critics and create chaos. I’ve worked on renewable energy documentaries, not weapons. People must verify facts before sharing. " She later collaborated with India’s Atomic Energy Regulatory Board to debunk the myth, emphasizing that "no actor could, or would, be involved in such projects." The Role of Social Media The incident highlighted vulnerabilities in digital ecosystems. Fact-checkers traced the original video to a deepfake AI model trained on Pandey’s public appearances, created by a group aiming to discredit climate activists. Over 600,000 people viewed the post before platforms removed it, but the damage was done: her Twitter account received threats, and her upcoming film promotion was overshadowed.