TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
THE CONTEXT: Sanjeev Sanyal, a member of the Prime Minister’s economic advisory council (PM-EAC), has proposed a comprehensive framework for regulating Artificial Intelligence (AI) in India.
EXPLANATION:
- The framework aims to address the challenges posed by the non-linear and unpredictable nature of AI, advocating for specialized regulatory mechanisms to ensure accountability, transparency, and ethical development of AI technologies.
Key Elements of the Proposed Framework
- Complex Adaptive System (CAS) Thinking:
- The framework draws inspiration from CAS principles, emphasizing the need for adaptive regulations capable of responding to the dynamic nature of AI systems.
- It encompasses five key principles:
- Establishing guardrails and partitions to limit undesirable AI behavior.
- Mandating manual overrides and authorization chokepoints for human intervention in critical scenarios.
- Open licensing of core algorithms and continuous monitoring for transparency and accountability.
- Implementation of incident reporting protocols to document system aberrations and ensure accountability.
- Predefined liability protocols to hold entities accountable for AI-related malfunctions or unintended outcomes.
- Global Regulatory Landscape:
- The proposal acknowledges the diverse regulatory approaches adopted by different countries, ranging from hands-off or self-regulatory models to heavily state-regulated frameworks.
- It underscores the need for India to develop a specialized AI regulator with a broad mandate to navigate the complexities of AI governance effectively.
- Alignment with International Standards:
- The framework aligns with global efforts to establish AI trust and safety frameworks, as evidenced by India’s participation in the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) Summit.
- It emphasizes the importance of incorporating globally accepted principles of trustworthy AI to enhance India’s competitiveness and facilitate collaboration with other nations.
Implications and Challenges
- Balancing Innovation and Regulation:
- The proposed framework aims to strike a delicate balance between fostering AI innovation and ensuring responsible and ethical AI development.
- It acknowledges the need for regulatory oversight to mitigate potential risks associated with AI technologies while fostering a conducive environment for innovation.
- Complex Regulatory Landscape:
- The formulation of AI regulation in India entails navigating a complex regulatory landscape, encompassing diverse stakeholders and regulatory considerations.
- The framework emphasizes the importance of aligning regulatory efforts with global standards to facilitate collaboration and knowledge-sharing while enhancing India’s leadership in responsible AI development.
Future Directions and Policy Implications
- Drafting AI Regulation:
- The framework provides valuable insights for the formulation of AI regulation in India, emphasizing the need for comprehensive regulatory mechanisms to address the multifaceted challenges posed by AI technologies.
- It underscores the importance of proactive regulatory interventions to ensure accountability, transparency, and ethical AI development.
- Digital India Act (DIA) and Inter-Ministerial Collaboration:
- AI regulation is expected to be a crucial component of the upcoming Digital India Act (DIA), which will undergo public consultation post-general elections.
- The framework advocates for inter-ministerial collaboration and the establishment of a dedicated regulatory body to supervise and regulate AI effectively.
- India AI Mission and Capacity Building:
- India’s approval of the India AI Mission underscores its commitment to building AI capacities and fostering innovation in the country.
- The framework emphasizes the need for robust regulatory mechanisms to complement capacity-building initiatives and ensure responsible AI deployment across diverse sectors.
Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM):
- It is an independent body constituted to give advice on economic and related issues to the Government of India, specifically to the Prime Minister.
- It was set up for the first time in September 2017 with a term of two years.
- EAC-PM is headed by a Chairperson and consists of eminent economists as members.
- It is supported in its functions by a team of officials and administrators.
- There is no fixed definition of the exact number of members and staff of the EAC-PM.
- It is common for the Council to be reconstituted time and again with different organizational structures headed by various economists who are of recognized international eminence.
- For administrative, logistic, planning, and budgeting purposes, the NITI Aayog serves as the nodal agency for the EAC-PM.