MeitY Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar talks about AI regulation under the Digital India Act

What’s the news: There will be rules under the Digital India Act (DIA) to regulate artificial intelligence (AI) and intermediaries that are high-risk AI but no separate legislation on the same, said Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar on May 23, 2023. The Minister was answering questions during a stakeholder consultation in Mumbai on the new law that is soon to replace the Information Technology Act, 2000. During the talk, a stakeholder asked the government to have model clauses to regulate AI, if not a separate law. While the government talked about the ‘principles of the DIA,’ the stakeholder pointed out that a code of ethics alone will not be enough for India, considering its pace and contribution in the field. The person suggested something like the standard contractual clauses in the GDPR. Why it matters: There is concern among stakeholders about the development of AI in terms of deep fakes and other sophisticated use cases that can lead to misinformation issues. With the government possibly doing away with safe harbor issues, companies are eager to understand the rules concerning AI so as not to hinder innovation. Even after the Mumbai consultation, the government seems reticent on the topic of AI regulation, compelling all entities to wait for the draft Bill in June 2023. Separate chapter on emerging technologies: Responding to the query, Chandrasekhar said that the government has created a chapter in the DIA that only looks at emerging technologies, including AI. “What I said very clearly…