Centre recognises AI needs more regulation: IT Secretary

New Delhi: The Centre now explicitly recognises that artificial intelligence (AI) needs to be regulated more, and is working on legislation focussed on safety, electronics and information technology secretary S Krishnan said on Friday. Referring to a series of cyber incidents whereby AI agents escaping sandboxes and running rogue, Krishnan said many ways by which agents exploit systems is because someone didn't follow cyber hygiene.

IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on October 8 had said the government would release a consultation paper within a month to lay the foundation for an AI regulatory framework. Its focus would include AI safety, deepfakes and a human-first approach, combining legal safeguards with technological measures. Krishnan said the government is working expeditiously on this. "On one hand, we have to expand digital transactions needs to expand digital service delivery and transaction across a wave of areas. But at the same time we have to make sure all the cyber security related aspects are addressed because we shouldn't open ourselves to bigger cyber risks than there already are," he said at a KPMG event. The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) last week said agents being evaluated by AI model providers went beyond their assigned tasks and accessed business records, personal data and confidential material. None of the affected organisations detected the access. The incidents came to light after AI providers reviewed their agents' activities and voluntarily reported them, CERT-In said in an advisory rated critical.

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Krishnan said enterprises remain hesitant in deploying AI. "At an enterprise level there is still hesitation since they are not sure if their data is safe, whether it goes out somewhere else or if someone else will get into it. That is where our large information technology and information technology enabled sector needs to and make sure they are able to lead the way that AI is deployed across a range of applications where there are possibilities," he stressed.

GPU plans

Krishnan added the next set of 23,000 graphics processor units (GPUs) being procured by the government will be operational by March, 2027. This involves 13,000 new GPUs being procured by the government and 10,000 GPUs being made available through a bilateral agreement with the UAE, he pointed out. "Ensuring there is adequate computer is one of the main mission of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. We've built out models, and a number of applications that work through that," he said.