New Delhi: Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw today emphasized the government’s openness to introducing a new legal framework for AI. He highlighted the balance required between combating fake news and protecting freedom of speech while advancing India’s AI capabilities.
Consensus on AI Governance and Social Media Accountability
Addressing concerns about AI’s societal impact, Vaishnaw pointed out that accountability for social media, particularly in cases of fake news and misleading narratives, is a global challenge. Vaishnaw stressed the importance of a balanced approach to safeguard freedom of speech while ensuring accurate information networks.
“There are things that need to be debated, and if the House agrees and there is a consensus in the society, we can come up with a new law. We are open to that idea,” Vaishnaw noted.
Privacy-Centric Indigenous AI Tools
Highlighting privacy as a priority, Vaishnaw detailed eight indigenous projects under the “Safe & Trusted AI” initiative. These projects aim to address privacy concerns and develop AI technologies suited to India’s unique requirements:
- Machine Unlearning: IIT Jodhpur is working on removing data from generative models.
- Synthetic Data Generation: IIT Roorkee is developing methods to reduce bias in datasets.
- Bias Mitigation in Healthcare: NIT Raipur focuses on responsible AI in healthcare.
- Explainable AI: DIAT Pune and Mindgraph Technology are enhancing AI’s interpretability.
- Privacy-Preserving Models: IIT Delhi, IIIT Delhi, IIT Dharwad, and TEC collaborate on robust AI models.
- AI Governance Testing: Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham and TEC are creating frameworks for LLM transparency.
- AI Ethical Certification: IIIT Delhi and TEC are developing fairness assessment tools.
- Algorithm Auditing: Civic Data Labs is building an open-source toolkit for participatory audits.
India’s Global Leadership in AI
India’s prominence in AI was underlined with Stanford University ranking it among the top four nations in AI vibrancy. GitHub also acknowledged India’s contribution, with 24% of global AI projects originating from the country.
Vaishnaw noted India’s role as chair of the Global Partnership on AI (GPAI) and its active involvement in international collaborations like the OECD and UN.
AI for All
The government has enrolled 8.6 lakh candidates on the Future Skills Platform to upskill the workforce in AI and related fields. Additionally, AI and 5G labs, startups, and semiconductor training facilities are being established in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities like Gorakhpur, Shimla, and Patna to ensure equitable technological growth.
AI has immense potential to transform agriculture, healthcare, education, logistics, and finance, significantly improving citizens’ lives, Vaishnaw remarked, reaffirming India’s commitment to global leadership in responsible AI.
Union Minister further stated: “Government is committed to harnessing the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for the good of our people in sectors like healthcare, agriculture and education. At the same time, the Government is cognizant of the risks posed by AI.”
“The advent of AI is being used as a tool for augmenting capability. AI will result in job creation in various streams like data science, data curation, etc. India has a distinct advantage globally when it comes to having a workforce trained in Artificial Intelligence. This will require reskilling and upskilling, for which the Government has taken various initiatives,” he noted.
Also Read –
