India to begin stakeholder talks on separate AI regulation law

India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) is set to begin discussions with various stakeholders to draft a separate law for artificial intelligence (AI) regulation. This marks a shift from the government's earlier stance of not planning a dedicated AI law.

S. Krishnan, Secretary at MeitY, announced the decision on Tuesday at a Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) summit in New Delhi. He stated, "we will have to start discussing in various groups as to what the stakeholders feel about it [AI regulation] and we will start a process of drafting."

Previously, Krishnan had indicated that the government had no plans to create a new, dedicated AI law. However, within six months, the Ministry has revised its position. "I do think that there is a requirement for a new law because the world of AI is very different from the world when the IT Act was enacted in 2000," Krishnan explained in an interview with The Hindu. The Ministry has reportedly received approximately 762 suggestions from various ministries regarding AI adoption and its specific applications.

Krishnan also briefly addressed other current digital regulatory matters, including notices sent to messaging platforms, Meta's new 'Muse' feature, and the issue of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The Ministry is awaiting responses on these matters and will examine them within the existing legal framework.