AI framework to promote innovation while prioritising user protection, says Rajeev Chandrasekhar

Union Minister of State for Electronics and Technology (MeitY) Rajeev Chandrasekhar

India's AI framework will have a clear set of do's and don'ts that will enable innovation and at the same time, prevent user harm, Union Minister of State for Electronics and Technology (MeitY) Rajeev Chandrasekhar told Moneycontrol.

This comes at a time when the rapid growth of generative AI is both exciting and concerning, especially given the lack of regulation around the matter. The minister has previously stated that the upcoming Digital India Bill will address issues related to artificial intelligence and algorithmic accountability.

“We have already signalled that we will never come in the way of innovation, we will never come in the way of disruption. But, we will have a legislative framework that will have guardrails, around openness, safety and trust and accountability,” he said on the sidelines of Moneycontrol's Policy Next event, held in Bengaluru on May 5.

“We certainly know that the world of tech is going to see many more disruptions and innovations down the road. We are clear that we will have a framework of do's and don'ts that will allow innovators to innovate, but not cross the line as far as user harm is concerned,” Chandrasekhar added.

In March, MeitY held a pre-consultation in Bengaluru. Chandrasekhar told Moneycontrol that it was the first time a pre-consultation was conducted before the publication of the draft Bill, and that one or two more such consultations will be held.

“That pre-consultation [in Bengaluru] was very successful. We will continue to do one or two more, and the draft will come out hopefully by the end of May,” he said.

In February, Chandrasekhar told Moneycontrol that the Digital India Act would address matters such as issues and risks associated with emerging technologies like AI.

The Digital India Act will replace the existing Information Technology Act, 2000. The new law will also look at user harm and aims to take strict action against nine types of content, including misinformation, disinformation, and child sexual abuse material (CSAM), among others.

“Disinformation and misinformation are very, very dangerous threats. The looming threats are even worse than the current ones because of deep fakes and AI. So, therefore, we certainly don't want our internet when our goals are safe and safety and trust on the internet to be rampant with misinformation,” the minister previously told Moneycontrol in an interview.

Under the law, the government is also mulling removing the safe harbour provision for internet intermediaries. During the pre-consultation on the Bill, he said that online platforms pretending to be silent intermediaries and allowing cybercrime to proliferate will not be tolerated. "The law should not be prescriptive. The law should be principles-based rule providing a framework with very sound principles that can then be used to develop rules in the future," he said.