The government recently issued an advisory for technology companies, stating that those involved in the development of AI models must obtain approval before launching in India. Additionally, the government urged social media companies to label AI models under trial to prevent the hosting of illegal content on their platforms. IT Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar has now offered clarification, emphasizing the specific details of the advisory.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Chandrasekhar stated that the Ministry of Electronics and IT’s recent advisory needs careful interpretation. He clarified that the advisory is targeted at significant platforms, and seeking permission from the ministry is applicable only to large platforms, exempting startups from this requirement.
Chandrasekhar addressed the incident involving Google Gemini, where biased answers regarding Prime Minister Narendra Modi were returned. Referring to it as a “very embarrassing” episode, he stressed that the government views this as a violation of IT laws. Highlighting the need for transparent user consent before deploying such models, Chandrasekhar asserted that claiming a platform is under trial and unreliable is not an excuse to evade prosecution. The advisory is specifically aimed at preventing untested AI platforms from deploying on the Indian Internet.
Regarding the labeling of AI content, the IT minister noted that this serves as an “insurance policy” for tech companies developing AI models. The process of seeking permission, labeling, and providing consent-based disclosure to users about untested platforms acts as protection for platforms that might otherwise face legal action from consumers. Chandrasekhar emphasized that ensuring the safety and trust of India’s Internet is a collective goal shared by the government, users, and platforms.
