Tani Laila, daughter of the legendary South Asian vocalist Runa Laila, has called upon fans to actively report social media accounts that are disseminating malicious, artificial intelligence-generated death rumours about her mother. The plea follows a deluge of synthetic videos and doctored images circulating on digital platforms, falsely claiming that the veteran artist was “battling for her life.”
Currently residing in the United States with her family, Tani issued a resolute statement on social media to dispel the sensationalised hoaxes. She confirmed that her mother remains in robust health, expressing intense anger over how rogue content creators utilise generative AI techniques to exploit high-profile public figures simply to generate ad revenue and clicks.
“I am truly annoyed and fed up seeing these posts, AI-generated YouTube videos and fake news being spread just to make a small amount of money,” Tani stated. “I will personally start reporting these types of content, one by one, until these idiots stop this nonsense.”
Highlighting her mother’s six-decade artistic legacy across Bangladesh and the broader subcontinent, Tani lamented the lack of respect shown to a national treasure. Runa Laila’s multilingual repertoire—spanning Bengali, Urdu, Hindi, and several other languages—has earned her decades of international acclaim.
“My mother has devoted six decades of her life to serving music. Yet people continue to disrespect her in this way even now — what an utter shame and humiliation this is for us,” Tani wrote. She emphatically added: “My mother is completely healthy and alive; no one has died, nor is she on the verge of death. These are all videos and images created using AI.”
Tani urged her mother’s extensive global fanbase to take a zero-tolerance stance against digital abuse by reporting accounts hosting deepfake material. “It is no longer tolerable. Those who follow Runa Laila, please report such accounts.”
The widespread adoption of artificial intelligence tools has dramatically amplified the speed at which convincing yet false medical emergencies can be manufactured. Hyper-realistic voice synthesisers, paired with algorithmically altered portraits, make it increasingly difficult for average users to differentiate between verified journalism and malicious fabrications.
Far from being incapacitated, the iconic singer maintains an active performing calendar. Last month, she headlined two major live concerts in Australia, having previously performed a solo musical evening hosted by the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in Dhaka. Her family reiterates that all recent health claims are entirely unfounded, advising audiences to exercise caution and verify online information before sharing it.
