India drafts new AI law to tackle deepfakes, accountability gaps, and copyright issues
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India Plans New AI Law to Tackle Deepfakes and Ensure AI Accountability
India is preparing to introduce a new AI law as the use of artificial intelligence grows across the country. The technology is making work easier in many areas, but it is also creating new problems that older laws cannot fully handle. Artificial intelligence is becoming a bigger part of everyday life. People use AI to write, create images, edit videos, and complete many daily tasks. While these tools offer many benefits, they have also created new problems. The government now believes the country needs a separate set of laws to deal with these challenges. It wants clear rules to prevent the misuse of technology and make the online space safer. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has begun discussing a new legal framework with experts. Officials feel that the current laws can solve only a few AI-related problems. Most of these laws were written years before AI grew powerful. As a result, they cannot cover many issues that are appearing today.
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India mulling AI law to tackle deepfakes, cyber attacks and accountability gaps
AI copyright issues, data use, and algorithm bias are also being reviewed. AI is growing at a rapid pace, and with that, it's also changing how people use technology. While there are certain benefits to that, it also has created new risks that current laws cannot fully address. Keeping these challenges in mind, the central government is planning to introduce new laws to prevent the misuse of AI on social media and in cyberspace. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology said existing rules cover some AI-related problems, but new issues continue to appear. The proposed law is meant to deal with problems caused by AI, such as deepfakes, online scams, privacy issues, copyright problems, and deciding who is responsible if an AI system causes harm. Why the government wants a separate AI law The Indian government feels that the existing laws were drafted to govern human behaviour and not how the AI will work. While these laws are capable of handling some problems arising from AI, they were never designed for it. Explaining this, S. Krishnan, Secretary at the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, said that current legal provisions can address issues such as deepfakes and content labelling to some extent, but they are not enough to deal with the growing range of AI-related risks. He also confirmed that the government is already consulting experts to develop a dedicated legal framework for AI. Also read: WhatsApp may soon make it easier to see who is online on iPhone Who is responsible for AI mistakes? One of the major issues regarding AI is who should be liable in the case of an error made by the AI technology, as there are many AI technologies that operate as 'black boxes'. It's a situation when even their manufacturers cannot determine how they make a certain decision. For example, if an AI-enabled medical robot conducts a surgery with an error or a self-driving car results in an accident, then no existing law in India specifies whether the manufacturer, the user, the company, or some other party should be held responsible for the damage caused. Copyright and data need clear rules The AI tools are no longer text-generating machines, as they can now generate images, songs, and novels and can even code complex programs. However, there are no legal regulations concerning the owners of such products because copyrights are only acknowledged by people. Another problem is that there is massive use of copyrighted material available on the Internet for training AI systems without getting any permission. It is necessary to have legal provisions about what constitutes fair use and infringement of copyrights. Also read: Xiaomi 18 Pro Max camera and battery details tipped: Will it launch in India? Other challenges Along with the above-mentioned challenges, the government is also studying the impact of AI on the creation of deepfake videos and cloned voices, posing a danger of fraud and identity theft. While there are ways to resolve such cases through laws, the spread of harmful content occurs much faster compared to legal actions that can be taken against the issue. Algorithmic bias is also recognised as an issue by the experts. Under this situation, AI systems can treat some people unfairly. For example, they may discriminate while selecting people for jobs or approving loans.
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India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology is developing a dedicated legal framework to address AI-related challenges including deepfakes, accountability gaps, and copyright issues. The government recognizes that existing laws, designed for human behavior, cannot adequately handle AI-specific problems like algorithmic bias, black box systems, and identity theft through cloned voices.
India AI Law Development Addresses Growing Technology Challenges
India is preparing to introduce a comprehensive India AI law as artificial intelligence reshapes how people work, create, and interact online. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has begun consulting experts to develop a dedicated legal framework that addresses the mounting challenges posed by AI technologies
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. The proposed legislation aims to regulate AI misuse across social media and cyberspace, tackling issues that existing laws—written years before AI became powerful—cannot fully address.S. Krishnan, Secretary at the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, confirmed that while current legal provisions can handle some problems like content labelling to some extent, they fall short in managing the expanding range of AI-specific challenges
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. The government recognizes that existing laws were drafted to govern human behavior, not autonomous AI systems, creating significant gaps in legal protection and enforcement.
Source: Digit
New AI Law to Tackle Deepfakes and Identity Threats
The proliferation of deepfakes represents one of the most pressing concerns driving the legislative push. AI-generated deepfake videos and cloned voices have created substantial risks of fraud and identity theft, with harmful content spreading far faster than legal remedies can address
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. These synthetic media tools enable malicious actors to impersonate individuals convincingly, threatening online safety and personal security. The new framework seeks to establish clear mechanisms for preventing such misuse while ensuring swift action against violators.Cyber attacks leveraging AI capabilities have also emerged as a critical threat vector. The government's proposed law will address how AI tools can be weaponized for sophisticated digital attacks, requiring new approaches to cybersecurity that account for machine-driven threats rather than solely human-initiated ones.
Source: Analytics Insight
AI Accountability Gaps in Black Box Systems
One of the most complex issues the India AI law must resolve involves accountability in AI use when systems operate as black box AI systems. These technologies make decisions through processes so opaque that even their manufacturers cannot explain how specific outcomes are reached
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. This creates unprecedented liability questions: if an AI-enabled medical robot makes a surgical error or a self-driving car causes an accident, no existing Indian law specifies whether the manufacturer, user, company, or another party bears responsibility for the damage.The proposed legal framework must establish clear lines of AI accountability that account for the unique nature of autonomous systems. This becomes particularly urgent as AI technologies take on more decision-making roles in critical sectors like healthcare, transportation, and finance, where errors can have life-altering consequences.
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Copyright Issues and Data Use Require New Rules
AI tools have evolved beyond text generation to create images, songs, novels, and complex code, yet copyright issues remain unresolved
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. Current copyright laws only recognize human creators, leaving AI-generated works in legal limbo. Additionally, AI systems routinely train on massive amounts of copyrighted material from the internet without permission, raising fundamental questions about fair use and infringement that the new legislation must clarify.The government is examining how to balance innovation with intellectual property protection, ensuring creators receive appropriate recognition while allowing AI development to progress. These rules will likely influence how AI companies operate in India and set precedents for data use practices.
Algorithmic Bias and Systemic Fairness Concerns
Experts have identified algorithmic bias as a significant challenge requiring legislative attention
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. AI systems can perpetuate or amplify unfair treatment of certain groups, potentially discriminating in job selection processes or loan approvals. The proposed legal framework will need to establish standards for fairness and transparency in AI decision-making, particularly in applications that affect people's livelihoods and opportunities.As AI becomes embedded in everyday tasks—from writing and image creation to video editing—the need for clear rules to prevent technology misuse grows more urgent
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. The government's initiative to create a separate legal framework reflects recognition that AI presents fundamentally different challenges than previous technologies, requiring tailored solutions that protect citizens while fostering innovation. The consultation process with experts suggests India is taking a measured approach to crafting legislation that can adapt to rapidly evolving AI capabilities while addressing immediate threats to privacy, security, and fairness.References
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