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India's AI Action Summit and Global AI Governance

Published 2 weeks ago4 minute read
India's AI Action Summit and Global AI Governance

India is set to host the next AI Action Summit, following Britain, South Korea, and France. This significant event aims to shape global AI governance, and the Indian government has extended an invitation for public comments until June 30 to help define its agenda. India is poised to introduce perspectives from the global majority, moving them from the periphery to the mainstream, and to showcase a distinctive approach to the intricate challenges of AI governance.

A primary point of discussion revolves around whether and how to regulate AI. Diverse regulatory philosophies currently exist: the recent US proposal advocates banning state AI laws for a decade, seen by many as a pro-innovation stance; conversely, the EU's AI Act adopts a more cautious, product-safety-oriented approach. China's regulatory framework, meanwhile, tends to align with authoritarian state control. Beyond this established dichotomy, India is frequently seen as capable of presenting a 'third way' in AI governance. The upcoming summit provides a crucial platform for India to articulate elements of this unique approach and to address another complex issue: the degree of openness in AI development.

Regarding openness, India seeks to transcend the simplistic binary of 'open or closed' models for releasing AI base models. While some argue that AI models should remain under the strict control of a select few, others contend that base models should be released without any restrictions. India expresses a clear disinterest in a future where a handful of US and Chinese corporations monopolize advanced AI models and can arbitrarily dictate their usage. However, India also emphasizes that openness should not be misconstrued as an entirely libertarian philosophy, where individuals can utilize these models without any constraints. Instead, a truly open approach is needed—one that facilitates independent evaluation of how foundational models function, enabling innovation without inadvertently embedding contemporary US political agendas or Chinese state censorship.

A core objective for India, supported by its new AI Safety Institute (ASI), should be to advocate for this openness and transparency, complemented by independent testing and evaluation. Furthermore, the ASI must take the lead in ensuring that AI systems, particularly those deployed in high-impact public services, are secure and reliable. The 'Safe and Trusted AI' pillar of the IndiaAI mission actively encourages projects focused on bias mitigation, privacy enhancement, and governance testing. These themes are expected to be prominent on the summit's agenda, reinforcing India's alignment with the EU's push for 'Trustworthy AI'. It is crucial, however, that trustworthiness, privacy, and safety are not merely demanded of AI systems but are demonstrably achieved through robust and effective governance frameworks.

The numerous purported benefits of AI can be severely undermined if data security is compromised, if system responses are unreliable or biased, or if public confidence in the technology erodes due to high-profile scandals. A notable example is the 'Child Benefits Scandal' in the Netherlands, where an opaque and discriminatory AI system erroneously flagged thousands of families for benefits-related fraud. In response, the Netherlands is proactively enhancing AI accountability through human rights impact assessments and public databases of government AI systems. Genuine public trust in AI systems can only be cultivated through rigorous transparency and accountability practices.

By centering global conversations and policy imperatives on open, transparent, and rights-protecting AI development, India can reduce uncertainty and foster a level playing field for smaller players. This approach, which the IndiaAI mission favors, may not necessarily be enshrined in dedicated legislation but rather through an ecosystem of institutional oversight via the ASI and the adaptation of existing laws. The underlying logic is straightforward: when technology is inherently built to respect rights and be safe, it garners greater public trust and, consequently, sees broader adoption, especially when its integrity can be independently verified. This creates a mutually beneficial scenario for commerce, individual rights, and effective governance.

For the global majority, such frameworks are indispensable. Without meticulous attention to the impact of AI models, these regions risk becoming testing grounds for nascent and underdeveloped technologies originating elsewhere. The absence of proper oversight could lead to 'innovation arbitrage,' a term describing the exploitation of regulatory gaps to deploy questionable technology. The harms associated with AI-driven systems lacking oversight are well-documented, encompassing opaque and unaccountable data collection practices that deprive individuals of genuine choice, as well as flawed algorithmic decisions that significantly impact people's education, employment, and healthcare opportunities. By championing openness, transparency, and security, India has a unique opportunity to collaborate with global majority countries to forge shared approaches and demands. Advocating for such inclusion and leadership space would enable the leveraging of collective expertise to ensure 'access for all,' a key objective of the Indian government. The AI Impact Summit represents a pivotal moment to unite like-minded countries and chart a roadmap for AI development that genuinely benefits the global majority and fosters individual and regional autonomy, rather than cementing technological hegemony.

From Zeal News Studio(Terms and Conditions)
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