AI firms need India’s nod before launch
NEW DELHI, INDIA — India recently issued an advisory requiring tech firms to obtain government approval before releasing artificial intelligence (AI) models or services that are unreliable or still under testing.
The advisory comes after Google’s AI chatbot Gemini faced backlash for responding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had been accused of implementing “fascist” policies by some experts. The tech giant also faced controversy for its “inaccurate” and “offensive” AI image generation feature.
“The use of under-testing/unreliable Artificial Intelligence model(s) /LLM/Generative AI, software(s) or algorithm(s) and its availability to the users on Indian internet must be done so with [the] explicit permission of the Government of India,” said The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
The ministry added that AI models or services must be appropriately labeled depending on the “possible and inherent fallibility or unreliability of the output generated.”
While not legally binding yet, the directive signals India’s intent to regulate AI technologies proactively.
“We are doing it as an advisory today asking you (the AI platforms) to comply with it. At some point, there will be a law and legislation that (will) make it difficult for you not to do it,” said IT Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar.
He emphasized that unreliable AI platforms cannot evade accountability by claiming their products are under testing.
The notice also mandates that AI-generated content, whether text, audio, image, or video, be watermarked to identify its artificial nature.
Platforms must ensure their AI models do not perpetuate bias, discrimination or threaten the electoral process’s integrity. Compliance is requested within 15 days.
The advisory has raised concerns among startups and industry leaders about hindering India’s AI progress. Aravind Srinivas, co-founder and chief executive of Perplexity AI, called the policy shift a “bad move by India.”
Bad move by India. pic.twitter.com/Pg8WGotVEn
— Aravind Srinivas (@AravSrinivas) March 3, 2024
Pratik Desai, founder of Kisan AI, expressed disappointment, stating, “This is terrible and demotivating after working [four years] 4yrs full time bringing AI to this domain in India.”
I was such a fool thinking I will work bringing GenAI to Indian Agriculture from SF. We were training multimodal low cost pest and disease model, and so excited about it. This is terrible and demotivating after working 4yrs full time brining AI to this domain in India. https://t.co/Hou7hcjFOs
— Pratik Desai (@chheplo) March 3, 2024
India’s move is “anti-innovation” and “anti-public,” according to Martin Casado, a partner at venture firm Andreessen Horowitz.
Good fucking lord. What a travesty. Requiring government approval to deploy a model.
This is the inevitable outcome of rhetoric like Vinod’s.
It’s anti innovation. It’s anti public. And we all loose.
Keep AI open!!!! pic.twitter.com/P3sBBS0q9U
— martin_casado (@martin_casado) March 3, 2024
