Govt To Release Consultation Paper On AI Regulation: Vaishnaw
Amid growing uncertainties over AI’s utilisation and its prospects, union IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the government is working…
Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that the government is set to release a consultation paper on AI regulation amid increasing uncertainties surrounding the technology's use and potential. Speaking at the release of the World Bank's latest World Development Report, Vaishnaw emphasized that the timing is suitable for India to formalize AI regulation, with the forthcoming consultation paper serving as the foundation for future AI-related legislation.
The proposed regulatory blueprint is expected to prioritize AI safety and security, tackle the challenge of deepfakes, and ensure sufficient skill development to maximize the utilization of AI. Deepfakes, according to Vaishnaw, pose a severe societal nuisance and create dangerous precedents with misleading narratives. The sophistication of deepfakes is continuously improving.
Vaishnaw firmly stated that AI and emerging technologies cannot be adequately managed through legislation alone, advocating for a combined techno-legal approach with the active engagement of industry stakeholders. He attributed the primary responsibility for addressing issues like cybersecurity, safety, user harm, psychological disorders, and deepfake proliferation to the industry.
The IT minister previously highlighted the IT Act's obsolescence and the need for a new legal framework to govern AI. Reports suggested that the Center is exploring the formulation of a new AI regulation framework. As the capabilities of frontier AI models continue to evolve, the government has intensified its focus on tightening rules to mitigate the potential harms caused by the proliferation of AI-generated content.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) had proposed amending the IT Act to necessitate online platforms to label all deepfakes and AI-generated content as "synthetically generated information." This announcement arrives amidst a global controversy surrounding Meta's handling of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on its platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
Earlier this year, a BBC investigation revealed that Instagram ads directed users to Telegram channels offering CSAM material for sale, leading to Meta and Google agreeing to report content related to child abuse to Indian law enforcement authorities.
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Also reported by 2 other outlets
- India to release AI regulation consultation paper within a month, says Ashwini Vaishnaw hindustantimes.com
- AI regulation consultation paper next month, says IT minister Vaishnaw timesofindia.indiatimes.com