X user creates app that generates foreign AI influencers to push infrastructure fixes in India
Caleb Friesen is a famous Canadian-origin YouTuber based in India whose Instagram bio reads that he is mostly about "Exploring Indian AI and Startups." But since startups don't exist in a vacuum, Caleb also explores life in India, including the local culture, food, and civic infrastructure.
On August 20, 2025, he uploaded a reel on Instagram captioned, "I attempted to use the footpath from Domlur to Indiranagar. Things did not go as planned." The title was self-explanatory. He walked on a poorly maintained footpath and shared online what he thought about it.
The post received a lot of attention online, garnering over 34,000 likes and around 590,000 views. Many people were visibly upset in the comments section, complaining about the lack of responsibility shown by local municipal authorities. Soon thereafter, the authorities restored the footpath, and Caleb shared the news by walking through the same pathway once more and giving his renewed thoughts.
According to people in the comments, influencers like Caleb, who is both popular online and a foreigner from a first-world country like Canada, often hold significant influence, and whatever they complain about on social media is taken seriously by the authorities. This was corroborated by several comments on Caleb's Instagram post, where users asked him to review more pathways so that they, too, could be swiftly repaired.
Another unrelated incident that, according to many Indians, highlights this bias of the authorities towards foreigners involved a Greek citizen who lost his phone in a cab, which was promptly recovered by the local police. When the news was shared on social media through the Mumbai Police handle, several Indian citizens pointed out the bias, with many noting that their month-long complaints were still pending.
To harness this supposed “superpower” that popular white foreign nationals have, X user Raj Kunkolienkar (@kunksed) built an app where you can upload a photo of a dirty street or footpath and get an AI-generated white man pointing out the issues to the local authority.
Very quickly, the app generated over a thousand images, and API costs became expensive. The creator of the app then said, “If you're interested in sponsoring this project to keep it running, DM me.” Seeing this request, another X user, Anirudha Kulkarni (@4n1rudh4), stepped in to help the creator financially. At the time of writing, the website is still live and working.
Caleb Friesen also endorsed the app by happily quote-tweeting it from his X account @caleb_friesen2. What began with a reel about a damaged footpath has now evolved into a broader debate on how visibility and influence on social media can prompt faster civic responses in India. The discussion continues to highlight questions of bias, accountability, and the growing impact of digital platforms on everyday infrastructure.
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