The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has recommended the adoption of a holistic regulatory framework for the proper development of new-age artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. It suggested that an independent authority, ‘Artificial Intelligence and Data Authority of India’ be established for the development of responsible AI and regulation of use cases in the country. In an attempt to speed up the matter, TRAI suggested that the previously recommended statutory body, Data Digitisation and Monetisation Council (DDMC) be renamed to AIDAI.
The regulator called on the government to collaborate with international agencies and governments o other countries to form a global agency for the development, standardisation and responsible use of AI. TRAI recommended that specific AI use cases should be regulated on a risk-based framework where high-risk use cases that directly impact humans are regulated through legally binding obligations.
It added that India already plays a key role in shaping G20 AI principles, and is now to poised to lead in AI through its G20 presidency. This move saw resistance from Nasscom. It suggested that more effort should be put into ensuring that the existing regulatory framework and enforcement capacity is updated, to take into account the at-scale deployment of AI. TRAI noted that the work of AIDAI should be entrusted to the telecom regulator with suitable modifications in the TRAI Act.
TRAI also suggested that the formation of a multi-stakeholder body (MSB) can act as an advisory wing to the proposed AIDAI. This would pave the way for a responsible AI environment that would earn the citizens’ trust. TRAI enforced that the AIDAI should establish an overarching framework for the ethical use of data both by corporates and the government of India. It also suggested that there should be a process framework for the use of AI and related technologies in data processing, data sharing and data monetisation while ensuring the security and privacy of the data owner. Further, the regulator recommended that AIDAI should assess India’s data digitisation needs and fix implementation timeframes.
