The ever-growing use of AI in our day-to-day lives has prompted a lot of important debates around data privacy, specifically on the impact of AI on the lives of people, and how it should be regulated or controlled. Chat GPT, with its various features, has become hugely popular and is a central figure in all conversations related to AI, signifying that AI-based technologies such as Chat Bots, facial recognition software, text editors, personal assistants, and so on, have become a part of our regular life. Since regulations are always late to catch up with technological advances, the talk to order AI regulations is still at a premature stage.
The Indian Telecom Regulator has taken the lead by issuing a consultation paper on leveraging AI and big data for the telecom industry. Similarly, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has encouraged the use of AI for KYC processes and other operations, taking into consideration the privacy and security issues. The NITI Aayog issued a discussion paper titled ‘National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence’, which identified healthcare, agriculture, education, and smart cities as the areas in which AI technology could be deployed. The MEITY and its Digital India Act, which can potentially replace the Indian IT laws, plans to define and regulate ‘high risk AI systems’ by implementing a legal framework, controlled quality assessments, zero-day threat and vulnerability analysis, and examinations of AI based advertisement targeting and content management.
For data privacy, a detailed plan is in the works to introduce a new law, which will look systematically into each case of AI use to answer questions like – how should these issues be handled in the emerging regulation? Will information be protected or collected without permission? Will the use of AI lead to increased profiling and discrimination? Considering India’s already existing data privacy rules, the government is looking towards introducing a graded regulation where technological risks can be properly assessed according to risk categories.
Chat GPT and its various forms have been a discussion-point for a long time now and have kept its importance in the larger conversation about AI and its applicability. With new regulations in the offing, both the public and private entities can further use the technology for the betterment of people and the society. With careful consideration of the ethical issues, the society can use AI for various operations and make the lives of people easier.
