Govt eyes $200 billion AI bet, talks tough on deepfakes

New Delhi: India is looking to drive global consensus on the proper and ethical use of artificial intelligence so that the technology can be harnessed for the benefit of humanity while containing harms arising from its misuse, Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Tuesday.

Speaking at the AI Summit, the minister said India expects investments of nearly USD 200 billion over the next two years across five layers of the artificial intelligence stack. Highlighting the risks associated with the rapid adoption of AI, the minister said the problem of deepfakes is growing rapidly and requires much stronger regulation to protect children and society at large. He said the government has initiated consultations with industry stakeholders to explore additional safeguards beyond existing rules. Discussions are also underway with social media platforms on tackling deepfakes and implementing age-based restrictions, he said, to determine the most appropriate regulatory framework. Vaishnaw stressed that all companies — including Netflix, YouTube, Meta and X — must abide by India’s legal framework and the Constitution. He noted that a parliamentary committee has studied the issue in depth and emphasised the need to build consensus within Parliament for significantly stronger restrictions on deepfakes.