‘AI world is very different’: Ashwini Vaishnaw sees need for new AI law in India | Today’s news
The current information technology law was created much before the rapid emergence of artificial intelligence (AI), Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Tuesday, adding that she believed a new legal framework may be needed to deal with the changing landscape.
Vaishnaw – IT and Electronics Minister – told PTI that discussions with the industry are on and the government will try to strike a balance between innovation and regulation.
When asked whether India will deal with a separate AI law or continue to address it through changes to the IT Act while nations around the world debate AI security, Vaishnaw said it was a complex issue.
“It’s a very complex subject. Some things have been done under the IT Act, but I think there is a demand for a new law because the world of artificial intelligence is very different from the world when the IT Act was enacted in 2000.”
The government is working with industry, he added.
“We are in discussions with industry…as always, our aim and approach will be to balance innovation and regulation so that innovation takes place and our citizens remain safe,” the minister said.
It is worth noting that policymakers around the world are grappling with the challenges posed by generative artificial intelligence, including deepfake, misinformation and online harm.
India tightens IT rules to crack down on AI deepfakes.
In February this year, the government introduced stricter obligations for online platforms to deal with artificial intelligence and synthetic content, including deepfakes, and said platforms such as X and Instagram must remove any such content flagged by a competent authority or courts within three hours.
The government has announced changes to the Information Technology (Intermediate Guidelines and Digital Media Code of Ethics) Rules 2021, which formally define AI-generated content and synthetic content.
The amendments defined “audio, visual or audiovisual information” and “synthetically generated information” to include content created or altered by artificial intelligence that appears to be real or authentic. Routine modifications, accessibility improvements, and bona fide educational or design work are excluded from this definition.
The center also proposed stricter standards for the publication of AI-generated content and suggested improvements to IT rules that would require clear and continuous labels identifying synthetically generated information that would be visible throughout the duration of the visual display.
