Chandrasekhar Addresses MPs’ Concerns on Government’s Efforts to Utilize AI for Practical Applications
During the winter session of Parliament, Lok Sabha members turned their attention to the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and sought detailed insights from Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar. The discussions covered potential impacts, regulatory plans, initiatives and challenges related to artificial intelligence technology.
The questions asked by the members were primarily aimed at the government’s strategy regarding the introduction of artificial intelligence and its alignment with global regulations. Minister Chandrasekhar outlined the government’s ambitious vision: “The government expects AI to be a kinetic enabler for India’s fast-growing digital and innovation economy. The government’s mission is to harness the potential of AI for real-life use cases in governance, healthcare, agriculture, language translation, etc., to make AI useful to citizens and communities.
Chandrasekhar highlighted the National AI Strategy and highlighted its central role in addressing societal challenges. However, he acknowledged the ethical concerns associated with artificial intelligence, particularly bias, privacy violations, and transparency issues. To counter these, he highlighted the ongoing efforts to standardize responsible AI development and India’s active participation in the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI).
Questions about the need for regulations on the use of artificial intelligence prompted Chandrasekhar to delineate the government’s framework. He explained that being aware of potential harms caused by new technologies, the government has proactively created a robust framework through the IT Act and amended IT rules to regulate harms to users.
Chandrasekhar then stated that to grow a trusted AI innovation ecosystem, the government has taken multi-pronged steps that include setting up expert teams to design the operational aspects of IndiaAI, focusing on establishing AI Centers of Excellence (CoE) and creating a data governance framework. He also noted that the ministry has also launched a “National AI Portal” that will serve as a comprehensive repository of AI initiatives.
Further, initiatives like ‘FutureSkills PRIME’, ‘Visvesvaraya PhD Scheme’, ‘Responsible AI for Youth 2022’ and ‘YUVAi’ illustrate the government’s dedication to upskilling and empowering youth in AI technologies, says Chandrasekhar. According to the answer shared by the minister, the development of infrastructure is also in a central place, especially the AIRAWAT concept concept project intended for artificial intelligence research and information dissemination alongside the artificial intelligence computing devices established by the National Informatics Center.
Taking a deep look at the concerns surrounding counterfeiting technologies, Chandrasekhar reiterated the government’s commitment to ensuring a secure online environment. He mentioned that IT rules oblige brokers to prevent the spread of false information, including deep fakes.
Chandrasekhar also stated that the ministry has directed major social media platforms to implement strict measures to counter the dangers of deep fake information. “If brokers do not follow the due diligence prescribed in the IT Rules, 2021, they will lose their safe harbor protection under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act and be liable for consequential action,” he added.
Debates in Parliament highlighted the government’s hard work to navigate the complex landscape of artificial intelligence. The focus is still on promoting a favorable environment for the responsible introduction of artificial intelligence technology and at the same time securing citizens’ safety and trust.
