No separate regulator to be formed to monitor AI, claims – a separate institute will issue guidelines

New Delhi| Quoting officials of India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, several media reports are claiming that the government is not currently considering creating a separate body to monitor artificial intelligence (AI).

It is reported that instead, the guidelines and framework related to the use of artificial intelligence will create an AI security institute, which will be established soon. A media report quoted government officials as saying that the institute, in conjunction with the current practice of issuing voluntary guidelines to companies, will structure the regulation of AKI. According to the report, officials said that work is going on to establish the institute and most of its work will be related to the research sector.

According to NDTV Profit report, the official said that the government has knowledge of the dangers associated with AI, but its intention is to maintain a balance between regulation and innovation. The government is taking this step following the recommendations given by a key committee on cyber security, security and legal and ethical issues.

The committee is one of four committees set up by the ministry in 2018 to promote initiatives and develop a policy framework involving artificial intelligence. The committee had written in its suggestion that the scope of AI is quite wide, hence it would be better to provide monitoring through existing sector-specific institutions than merely creating a regulator for its regulation.