Technology
India to Release AI Regulation Consultation Paper Next Month, Emphasizing Safety and Deepfake Issues
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that the government will publish a consultation paper on AI regulation next month. The paper will concentrate on AI safety, harms from its use, deepfakes, a human‑first approach, and skilling. After the paper’s release, the government plans to draft the regulatory framework. Vaishnaw said India now requires a regulatory framework for AI but that legislation alone will not suffice; a techno‑legal solution involving all stakeholders is needed. He highlighted that AI safety will be the primary focus and warned that sophisticated deepfakes are a nuisance that can cause serious societal problems by misleading people. The framework will also address AI‑related harms such as cybersecurity risks, user harm, and psychological disorders, ensuring that people are not left behind as the technology evolves. The industry will bear primary responsibility for managing these risks. Vaishnaw added that the consultation paper will commit to skilling initiatives. This follows the government’s recent tightening of IT Rules for social media platforms and other online intermediaries to combat AI‑generated deepfakes and other synthetic content. The amendments shortened the removal deadline for unlawful content from 36 hours to three hours after a valid government or court notice and require major platforms to use automated tools to detect certain unlawful material and address sensitive complaints such as nudity and impersonation within two hours. Non‑compliance could result in loss of safe‑harbour protection under Section 79 of the IT Act.