MeitY Issues New AI Advisory for Platforms and Intermediaries

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has issued a new advisory to platforms and intermediaries regarding deploying Artificial Intelligence (AI) models in India.

The advisory stipulates that AI technology still in development must acquire government permission before being released to the public. It aims to increase oversight and regulation around new AI systems, citing concerns about bias, discrimination, and threats to electoral integrity.

"The use of under-testing / unreliable Artificial Intelligence model(s) /LLM/Generative AI, software(s) or algorithm(s) and its availability to the users on Indian Internet must be done so with explicit permission of the Government of India and be deployed only after appropriately labeling the possible and inherent fallibility or unreliability of the output generated," the advisory reads.

The advisory further states that users must be informed about potential defects or errors in AI systems through a “consent popup” mechanism to increase transparency. In addition, Deepfakes and other misleading AI-generated content must be permanently labelled with metadata to identify its artificial origin.

The ministry expressed concern that intermediaries are failing to meet due diligence obligations under the 2021 Information Technology Rules. It also says that platforms must prevent users from hosting or sharing unlawful content, including that produced by unreliable AI systems.

Furthermore, non-compliance could result in penalties under the IT Act and other laws. The intermediaries have been instructed to report compliance within 15 days. However, some experts say developers may have to demo new systems for officials or undergo stress testing before deployment.

While not legally binding yet, the advisory signals tighter control over the rollout of new AI technologies in India.