India's IT minister pledges AI regulation consultation paper within a month

India's Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has said the government will publish a consultation paper on artificial intelligence regulation within a month, according to a report. The announcement came at an event for the World Development Report's release. The report presents it as a step toward a dedicated regulatory framework for AI in India.

The minister said the paper would put safety first, which he called the most important factor in how AI is used. The framework is expected to address AI safety, deepfakes, harm to users and a human-first approach. Vaishnaw singled out deepfakes as a serious nuisance, noting that their quality is rising fast and that people find it harder to tell manipulated content from real material. He warned that people can be led to believe fabricated content, which could produce false narratives and encourage harmful behaviour.

On the method, Vaishnaw said legislation alone will not be relied upon. He called for a techno-legal solution that pairs regulation with technological safeguards and draws in industry and other stakeholders. He argued that technology companies should carry the main responsibility for risks for problems he grouped under cybersecurity, safety, user harm, deepfakes and psychological disorders.

The article adds that the paper is also expected to deal with skilling and with making sure the benefits of AI reach all parts of society. Vaishnaw said humanity must remain the central element of the technological shift. The report characterises the approach as an attempt to balance encouraging innovation against limiting social harm from AI.