India has waded into global AI debate by issuing an advisory that requires “significant” tech firms to get government permission before launching new models.
India’s Ministry of Electronics and IT issued the advisory to firms on Friday. The advisory — not published on public domain but a copy of which TechCrunch has reviewed — also asks tech firms to ensure that their services or products “do not permit any bias or discrimination or threaten the integrity of the electoral process.”
Though the ministry admits the advisory is not legally binding, India’s IT Deputy Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar says the notice is “signalling that this is the future of regulation.” He adds: “We are doing it as an advisory today asking you to comply with it.”
In a tweet Monday, Chandrasekhar said the advisory is aimed at “untested AI platforms deploying on the India internet” and doesn’t apply to startups.
The ministry cites power granted to it through the IT Act, 2000 and IT Rules, 2021 in its advisory. It seeks compliance with “immediate effect” and asks tech firms to submit “Action Taken-cum-Status Report” to the ministry within 15 days.
The new advisory, which also asks tech firms to “appropriately” label the “possible and inherent fallibility or unreliability” of the output their AI models generate, marks a reversal from India’s previous hands-off approach to AI regulation. Less than a year ago, the ministry had declined to regulate AI growth, instead identifying the sector as vital to India’s strategic interests.
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Source: India reverses AI stance, requires government approval for model launches | TechCrunch
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