Centre to bring AI regulation paper next month, Vaishnaw says deepfake crackdown key focus

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Union Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnav said on Thursday that the government will release a consultation paper on Artificial Intelligence (AI) regulations next month, with the main objective of ensuring the safe use of AI and tackling the rapidly growing deepfake threat.

Addressing an event, the minister said he would request the department to prepare a discussion paper on AI regulation with safety as its primary focus. He said that safety is the biggest issue related to the use of AI and needs to be addressed seriously. Vaishnav said, "Deepfakes have become a major problem and can have serious adverse effects on society. People often believe deepfake content to be real, which leads to misconceptions and people making decisions based on misleading information."

He further stated that the proposed consultation paper will not be limited to regulation, but will also focus on skill development, safety, and ensuring that no one is left behind as AI technology expands. The Minister emphasized that human interests must be paramount in the regulatory framework related to AI. He explained that AI cannot be controlled solely through legislation, but rather requires a combination of both technology and regulation. He stated, "We must develop techno-legal solutions." He also emphasized the need for the participation of industry, experts, and other stakeholders in this process. The Union Minister further stated that industry must shoulder the primary responsibility in addressing challenges such as AI-related risks, cyberattacks, and deepfakes.

It is worth noting that the government has already released the India AI Governance Guidelines this year. This framework is based on trustworthiness, people-centered governance, and responsible AI innovation. These guidelines identify misinformation, deepfakes, algorithmic bias, and potential societal harms from AI as key risks. The guidelines also recommend identifying legal loopholes related to AI and reviewing issues such as accountability, data protection, copyright, content authentication, and misuse of generative AI. Furthermore, it proposes establishing institutional mechanisms such as an AI Governance Group, a Technology and Policy Expert Committee, and an AI Safety Institute. The government is also working on the "Safe and Trusted AI" initiative under the India AI Mission, under which several projects are underway related to deepfake detection, privacy-safe AI, mitigating algorithmic bias, and AI risk assessment.