India's IT Ministry Asks Ministries to Halt Use of OpenAI, Anthropic AI Models for Cybersecurity
A department under India's IT ministry has reportedly informed central ministries to pause the deployment of AI models developed by OpenAI and Anthropic for cybersecurity functions.
A division within India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has reportedly advised central government ministries to delay the implementation of artificial intelligence models from US-based companies OpenAI and Anthropic for cybersecurity purposes. This directive followed proposals made by representatives of the two AI firms to various ministries.
The memorandum does not impose a permanent ban but questions the timing of these deployments and cautions against premature use. For instance, the Finance Ministry had sought clarification on agentic AI and OpenAI's models, specifically proposing an examination of GPT-5.5 for cybersecurity tasks.
This development occurs amidst rising concerns over the cybersecurity risks associated with increasingly sophisticated AI systems. India's IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has recently called for new AI legislation, noting that the current IT Act predates the rapid advancements in the field. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has also warned financial sector entities to be vigilant against AI's potential to accelerate and complicate cyberattacks.
While advanced AI models can identify software vulnerabilities and aid in cybersecurity response, these capabilities can be dual-use, potentially exploited by malicious actors. Both OpenAI and Anthropic have acknowledged these risks and implemented safeguards in their advanced AI models.
The directive also brings to the forefront questions about India's technological sovereignty and the framework for deploying advanced AI within government operations. The country is promoting domestic AI developers, but clarity is still needed on regulations for implementing cutting-edge AI systems across ministries.