India's MeitY Proposes AI Governance Board for Government Bodies

MeitY recommends AI Governance Board for Government bodies

Disclaimer: This content generated by AI & may have errors or hallucinations. Edit before use. Read our Terms of use The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) recommends that government bodies should have a dedicated artificial intelligence (AI) governance board to review and authorise AI applications. MeitY says that the AI governance board would make sure that all AI initiatives align with recognised guidelines outlined in domestic and international legal instruments. It would also provide guidance throughout an AI model's lifecycle, ensuring that it not only meets technical benchmarks but also addresses ethical considerations. This comes as a part of the 'AI Competency Framework for Public Sector Officials' that the Ministry released on March 6. Besides these recommendations, MeitY also released a series of other AI initiatives last week, including a datasets platform called AIKosha, and the IndiaAI Compute Portal. This is not the first time that MeitY has suggested that AI applications should seek Government approval. In March 2024, MeitY put out an advisory that stated that any "under-tested or unreliable" AI model must get Government approval after receiving explicit permission from the Government. Many pushed back against this advisory, questioning what MeitY meant by under-tested/unreliable models and whether such an advisory was even legally binding. Amidst this pushback, the Government backtracked on the advisory in a couple of days, releasing a fresh one that stated that under-tested or unreliable artificial intelligence (AI) models must label the inherent fallibility or unreliability of the output they generate. The AI governance board that MeitY is suggesting as a part of the competency framework suggests that the Government may soon have the tools to make legally binding approvals for AI apps. However, unlike the previous approvals, which would have affected AI accessibility for the general public, these approvals seem to be limited to the AI apps that the Government bodies seek to use. It is important to note that while some of the other recommendations specifically mention public sector AI initiatives, it is unclear whether the AI governance board would only give approvals for Government AI projects or for private sector AI apps as well.

Government proposes dedicated AI governance board to oversee application approvals

The government has recommended establishing a dedicated AI Governance Board to review and authorise AI applications. The board will make sure that all AI initiatives align with recognised guidelines outlined in domestic and international legal instruments. The recommendation was made as a part of the Competency Framework for AI for Public Sector Officials on March 6, at the official launch of the AIKosha and AI compute portal by the ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY). The board could also play a crucial role in providing oversight and guidance throughout the AI lifecycle, the AI competency framework says. The panel will provide nuanced recommendations, guiding projects to not only meet technical benchmarks but also effectively address societal issues and ethical considerations. Also Read: Now government departments open artificial intelligence plan The need for a robust competency framework stems from the critical role India's public sector plays in leveraging AI for developmental and economic goals. However, as highlighted by the AI Readiness Index 2023 and the World Bank GovTech Maturity Index 2022, significant skill gaps persist, particularly in lower-income nations and the South and Central Asia region. To address this, the government has prioritised the development of a structured approach to enhance AI literacy and foster AI adoption within government services. The Competency Framework for AI for Public Sector Officials outlines several key goals and objectives. These include providing a foundational understanding of AI, defining necessary competencies for public sector officials, enhancing awareness of emerging technologies, identifying integration opportunities for improved service delivery, enabling informed policymaking, developing targeted training programs, and establishing a structured approach to career progression. "By defining structured learning pathways and competency benchmarks, the framework ensures that public sector officials are well-equipped to harness AI's transformative potential," stated an IndiaAI blog. "This initiative will foster innovation, efficiency, and ethical AI governance in public administration." The proposed AI Governance Board, operating in conjunction with the competency framework, is expected to play a vital role in ensuring that AI applications are implemented responsibly and ethically. The board will be tasked with reviewing and authorizing AI projects, ensuring they adhere to both domestic and international legal guidelines. This oversight aims to mitigate potential risks and ensure that AI technologies are used for the benefit of society. Also Read: Govt missive to seek nod to deploy LLMs to hurt small companies: startups

Govt Bats For AI Governance Board To Authorise AI Apps

In 2024, MeitY directed AI platforms to seek its permission before launching any AI product in the country but the plan was later shelved amid public outcry The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has recommended setting up a dedicated artificial intelligence (AI) governance board to review and authorise AI applications. The recommendation was part of the "Competency Framework for AI for Public Sector Officials": launched by the IndiaAI Mission during the launch of AIKosha on March 6. The framework also called for empowering the proposed board with powers to ensure all AI initiatives align with local and international "legal instruments" and ensure such projects address societal issues and ethical considerations. "Establish a dedicated AI governance board with the objective of reviewing and authorising AI applications... It could also play a crucial role in providing oversight and guidance throughout the AI lifecycle. The panel will provide nuanced recommendations, guiding projects to not only meet technical benchmarks but also effectively address societal issues and ethical considerations," read the document. Additionally, the report also called for setting up an "AI Ethics Committee" to design and integrate standard AI practices into all stages of the project lifecycle. The ministry also called on public sector organisations to implement a strong framework for identifying, evaluating, and reducing risks in their AI systems. While pitching for implementing robust privacy and data protection protocols in AI systems, the framework also urged all government ministries to establish a special vertical to oversee collection, storage, processing, and sharing of data. The framework also underscored the need for the following: Overall, the competency framework outlines several key goals and objectives including providing a foundational understanding of AI, defining necessary competencies for public sector officials, enhancing awareness of emerging technologies and identifying integration opportunities for improved service delivery among others. Notably, the call to set up an AI governance board appears to be a redux of the Centre's similar plans last year. In 2024, MeitY directed AI platforms to seek its permission before launching any AI product in the country but the plan was later shelved amid public outcry. This comes at a time when AI continues to see rapid adoption in the country. To leverage this and spur innovation in the sector, MeitY last week launched the IndiaAI Compute Portal, which will offer affordable AI compute services, a unified datasets platform AIKosha, and an accelerator programme for homegrown AI startups. The announcements were part of the larger INR 10,300 Cr IndiaAI Mission, approved by the Union Cabinet in 2024, which aims to make the country an AI hub through strategic partnerships between both public and private sectors.