Govt weighs new AI law as evolving technology raises fresh concerns over cyber threats and ...

NEW DELHI: With policymakers across the globe grappling with the challenges posed by artificial intelligence (AI), from disinformation to cyber security threats, the government is considering the option of bringing in a separate legislation to regulate AI, IT secretary S Krishnan said on Friday.

India’s existing legal framework has managed to address the initial concerns around AI, such as deepfakes and labour-related issues. However, as the AI technology evolves and new threats emerge, a dedicated regulation or law may be required to deal with them, Krishnan added.

“In AI and cybersecurity, the regulations regarding the legal process in India have been adequate in addressing our initial concerns... We addressed these by making new rules under the existing laws. But now we feel that we may need to think more deeply and make additional regulations. We may need to make a new law,” Krishnan said.

Without giving a timeframe for the proposed law, he said: “It is a conversation which has commenced... My minister (IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw) and I have both been on record earlier that we will look at AI regulation when the time is right, and it appears that the time is getting right, and we will start looking at it.”

The IT secretary, who was speaking on the sidelines of a CII cybersecurity event in Delhi on Friday, also acknowledged the knotty issue of VPN (virtual private network) service providers refusing to register in India and offering services from other countries.

“There is a system for VPNs to register, but many do not register in India and offer services from elsewhere. We have to look at both technology solutions and legal solutions to address this issue,” he said.

VPN encrypts internet connection and routes it through a remote server to enhance privacy, security, and access to restricted content. It provides anonymity to users who can bypass government censorship and access sites that are banned in their country.

Krishnan said the government has asked Google Play Store and Apple App Store to remove three Chinese apps—BAT-BMS, Lossigy and Epoch-i-ion—after they were found to have been misused to disable battery-operated vehicles remotely. The decision was taken after viral videos showed e-rickshaws being rendered inoperable through a remote shutdown feature in the BAT-BMS app, triggering concerns over cybersecurity risks associated with internet-connected vehicle management systems.

“A couple of apps came to our notice. Both have been taken down,” Krishnan said, adding that any other app found to be similarly misused would also be blocked.

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