India Shifts Stance on AI Regulation: From Self-Regulation to Potential Legal Framework

Govt Shifts Stance on AI: From Self-Regulation to Legal Framework

A recent statement by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) during the Question Hour addressed Lok Sabha questions regarding 'AI Governance'. The government stated that it is open to the idea of introducing legislation for AI governance. This contrasts with the stance the government took last week, where it emphasized a self-regulatory approach. "Government's aim is to create a supportive environment that encourages organizations to follow good practices voluntarily," it said. "There is no legal framework to govern the usage of AI. Is the government planning to bring legislation to govern the use of AI?" asked Adoor Prakash, in the Lok Sabha Question Hour. MeitY Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw responded that societies worldwide face challenges with social media accountability, fake news, and false narratives. "The legal framework has to change," Vaishnaw stated. "A lot of consensus is required around this because these are issues where the freedom of speech comes in on one hand, and the accountability and having a proper, real news network being on the other. And if the house agrees, and if there is a consensus in the society, we can come up with a new law, we are open to the idea," he added. Notably, the allocation of Rs 20.46 crore out of Rs 10,371.92 crore for Safe and Trusted AI from the India AI mission, constitutes the smallest share (0.2%) in the overall funding. The information came as a response to the following questions asked by MPs Vishaldada Patil and Adoor Prakash: (a) the steps taken/being taken by the Government to upskill the workforce in Artificial Intelligence (AI) governance and development to address challenges posed by rapid AI adoption including potential job displacement; (b) whether the AI Ethical Certification Project and Privacy Enhancing Strategy Project under the Ministry has established measurable objectives and timelines and if so, the details thereof; and (c) the details of international collaborations or partnerships undertaken by the Government to co-develop ethical AI governance frameworks and standards? Earlier this year, Vaishnaw stated that India's AI governance will prioritize innovation and may not emphasize regulation as seen in the US and Europe. He also noted that India's approach would align with its data privacy and telecom laws. The focus would be on regulating harmful AI applications like deepfakes and misinformation, rather than the technology itself. The government has been facing numerous questions in both houses of Parliament regarding AI regulation, efforts to counter deepfake technology, cyber frauds involving AI, and other related issues. Patil further enquired about the number of individuals enrolled in the Future Skills program. "With MEITY AI experts stating that 97 million new AI jobs by 2025 and 85 million conventional jobs being replaced, how many individuals have been enrolled in the Future Skills program?" he asked. Note: 'MEITY experts' did not state this; instead, The World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report, published in 2020, presented the statistics. The Ministry stated in response that so far, 8.65 lakh candidates have enrolled/trained in various courses including 3.30 lakh candidates in AI/Big Data Analytics technologies. A total of 172 courses are available in the AI/Big Data Analytics on the FutureSkills PRIME platform. Patil further asked how the establishment of 27 Datalabs would benefit small cities and villages in India. To which, Vaishnaw stated, "We believe in democratising technology. Datalabs are being created in the Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities with the intention to democratise technology. The effort is to make sure tier-2 and tier-3 cities have startups, and AI labs, 5G labs, semiconductor training facilities. The intention is that it should not be concentrated in some parts and should spread across the country." "We have seen how some of the Congress leaders used to treat technology. They used to feel that technology cannot be used by poor people. But in our case, we have got the technology right into the hands of the poorest of the poor, and same is the case with the India AI mission. So a very comprehensive India AI mission has started", he added. This Question Hour came after several days of disruptions in the Lok Sabha, finally taking place on Wednesday, December 11, 2024.

Indian Government Ready to Implement New Laws for AI

AI regulation in India is quickly becoming a hot topic, but are these discussions worth the hype? Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, has called for a balanced approach to address fake news while safeguarding freedom of speech, and is open to implementing new laws specific for AI. Speaking in Parliament on December 11, he stressed the critical need for consensus on social media accountability and AI governance, hinting at the possibility of a new legal framework if society aligns on the matter. Addressing concerns about fake news and misinformation, Vaishnaw remarked, "It is a major challenge that societies across the world are facing -- the accountability of social media, particularly in the context of fake news and the creation of fake narratives." He underscored the importance of achieving societal and legal accountability, adding, "These are the issues where freedom of speech comes on one hand and accountability and having a proper real news network getting created, on the other hand. These are things which need to be debated and if the house agrees and if there is a consensus in the entire society we can come up with the new law." The Minister highlighted government initiatives under the AI Mission aimed at addressing privacy and governance challenges through indigenous solutions. "To address the emerging landscape of AI, we have initiated eight projects aimed at creating tools and technologies within the country," he noted. The projects, developed under the "Safe & Trusted AI" Pillar, include: Vaishnaw emphasised India's leadership in shaping global AI policies. "India is one of the leading countries in shaping global thought on AI governance. Last year, India became the chair of Global Partnership on AI (GPAI) and held the Summit this year," he stated. He also noted India's influence in international AI discussions with organisations like the OECD and United Nations. AI regulation in India is quickly becoming a hot topic, but are these discussions worth the hype? With AI still in its infancy across the country, many argue that these conversations are out of sync with ground realities.