Source: Government of India
Posted On: 04 APR 2025 8:31PM by PIB Delhi
Good evening, all of you.
Shri Sunil Kumar Gupta, his description goes beyond an IAS officer of 1987 batch. He’s an alumnus of IIT Kanpur. Shri Sujeet Kumar, a member of the Upper House, the Council of States, House of Elders, popularly known as Rajya Sabha. I have had the good occasion and benefit to know the Hon’ble Member of Parliament inside out. He’s a lawyer, he’s an academician, he’s a positive thinker, he acts subterranean, but makes very effective contribution in the Council of States, and equally impactful contribution as part of international delegation of Bharat to global institutions.
I had the good fortune to interact with him briefly while he was invited to the banquet when we had the presence of Chilean president a decade younger to you. He’s 49, the president of Chile happens to be about 39. I must recognise a very distinguished presence of Smt. Sudha Murthy, has been accoladed for her simplicity, contribution to society, and captivating smile, ever positive. I remember in Rajya Sabha when the time came for her to ask a supplementary, it was 12 noon, which means Question Hour starts that was Zero Hour. I said, I’ll give you precedence.
A veteran member reacted, she is always in public domain. I said, well earned, well deserved, public spirited, for a public cause. We had the occasion also, me and Dr. Sudesh Dhankhar, when we were at the coronation of King Charles in London in that ceremony, we found a slim, simple looking girl coming to us and discovered she was then a spouse of the Prime Minister of UK, her son-in-law, and it was her daughter.
So the traditions of what we say, sanskar, rightly filtered to the next generation. Shri Haris Beeran, he shares one thing in common with Sudha Ji, a charming smile. Rekha Sharma recently became a member of Rajya Sabha from the state of Haryana, but has all India perspective, having occupied a very significant position of Chairperson of National Women’s Commission.
Mithlesh Kumar, well grounded to real politics, and also his presence at this function reveals he is very forward looking. Well, these constitute the, if I may say, contingent from the Upper House. We are enormously benefited by Tapir Gao, a member in the House of People, popularly known as Lok Sabha, from the state of Arunachal. Me and Dr. Sudesh Dhankar had the occasion to attend a very important programme just a month or two back in his state, a great state, a state with many tribes, culture and his colleague, Kiren Rijiju Ji is our minister for Minority Affairs.
Ladies and gentlemen, it is for the first time in this country that a person professing Buddhism is a Cabinet Minister that indicates our inclusive approach. The world must learn from India, Bharat, the concept of inclusivity. Yet, some try to impart lessons to us. It does happen on occasions that those who are to learn quickly become your teachers. But then, they learn fast if they are in positive frame.
Shri Pradeep Gandhi, I share something very different with him. He’s an ex-MP, I’m also one. But I am an ex-MP with a difference. My category of MPs in 89 to 91, 96 to 97, 98. axed-MP, we did not have the occasion to complete our term. We have amongst us Shri Rajit Punhani, an IAS officer of 1991 batch, Secretary to the Council of States, alumnus of Doon School, alumnus of St. Stephen’s College, President of the Union of St. Stephen’s, Harvard. IIM Bangalore, and he’s from the State of Bihar.
I must commend his role in human resource transformation in Rajya Sabha, and for crafting a very innovative skill for Rajya Sabha interns. Alongside, Sumant Narain, another Harvard product, Indian Audits and Accounts Service. We have Mahaveer Singhvi, Indian Foreign Service.
We have a journalist here who is more seen on television, like some of our parliamentarians. Because our parliamentarians are drawn from my one-time fraternity. I say one-time fraternity because, when I took oath of office of Governor of the State of West Bengal, my son as a senior advocate had to be suspended. So, I parted company with the jealous mistress. I see him. He’s extremely fond of young lawyers and promoting them on television.
There’s another journalist also, nearly having the same size as he has, with a little more height. I was having you in mind. Then, of course, Tosif Alam, the co-author. Well, I greet each and everyone present in this hall. But my real greetings to team Sujeet Kumar.
Ladies and gentlemen, I was extremely, all my life, benefited from intelligence. That intelligence, I call it SDI, Sudesh Dhankar Intelligence. That intelligence has always held me in good state, generating in me transparency, accountability, and has a very strong sense of disciplining. I dare not reveal the rest of it.
AI on Trial is a fascinating, illuminating book on a subject of huge contemporaneous relevance. Artificial intelligence invasion, incursion in our daily life is being felt by all of us. Its seismic impact is on every part of our activity. Disruptive technologies, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, blockchain, machine learning, used to be just words but now, artificial intelligence is the buzzword. On a lighter note, let me tell you, a member of the Parliament from journalistic category, did not reflect due diligence while sending a notice to get suspension of the working of the house, so that her subject, I have revealed the gender inadvertently, gets precedence. She sent it on a particular date and wanted suspension of the house that had already taken place five days ago.
I lamented that even artificial intelligence cannot help me to suspend which has already fructified but we never know, there may be a time when artificial intelligence couldn’t go that far also. While I congratulate the authors for their dedication to this critical field and for contributing in an area that will define not only our economic trajectory, in a sense guide our ethical compass for decades to come, but also impacts every societal activity. Artificial intelligence has got such fast traction. It is known to one and all, be it a village, be it semi-urban, urban, or highly urbanised areas, the meadows. It has agitated our minds, also generated concerns but ladies and gentlemen, let me remind you, last 10 years, India is defined as the nation that has had the highest growth amongst large nations.
Its exponential economic upsurge, phenomenal infrastructure growth have been accoladed by global institutions like the IMF and the World Bank. But the greatest certification has emanated from global institutions in respect of technological penetration. India’s landscape is now dotted with technological footprint everywhere and that is why the World Bank President reflected what India has achieved in technologically spread out in about six years that is not possible even in four decades.
We as a Nation have tested accessibility of technology and revealed to the world high degree of adaptability resulting in transparency, accountability of services. Youngsters would not even know that to pay an electricity bill or a water bill or a telephone bill. One was compelled to take a day’s leave. The queue was long. Getting a railway ticket or a platform ticket. All this is now in your hand, your mobile. Our mobile coverage, I can say, is reaching nearly saturation point.
The visionary leadership of Prime Minister Modi was reflected. When he thought of banking inclusion and brought about 550 million people, mostly in the villages, into banking service industry. In the shortest time that has stood us in good state during COVID. And also, imagine a Nation where farmers, hundred million in number, get three times a year, direct transfer into their bank accounts but we have to be extremely worry also. AI, the gene, is out of the bottle and it can be extremely destructive. It can create havoc if not regulated, in the age of defects, working of deep state, wokeism. These menacing trends can get wings if this gene of artificial intelligence is not regulated.
To put it for young minds, a nuclear power can give you energy. Nuclear power can lighten houses, run industry but it can also be destructive. Therefore, we have both the possibilities before us. This calls for something on which the book has deeply focused. The author, Shri Sujeet Kumar, has given illustrations. If you see one of the most widely propagated on social media, one was taking a route using artificial intelligence but the road was broken in between. AI did not show it and it was a disaster.
It can be a challenge to nations, organised societies, because it is a power that is now available to all. India, being the fastest growing country in the last 10 years, is no longer a nation with a potential. Our objective is well set out to be a developed nation by 2047, if not before. And that requires for us to harness every available area and vista of opportunity because our income has to go eightfold per capita and that being the situation, we must look to harness artificial intelligence for our benefit and that surely can be done.
I would say India is amongst the few nations in the world that have focused on this aspect, much before others. But we are the most populous country, largest, oldest, most vibrant democracy. Regulating artificial intelligence is daunting, frightening, but imperative. Right balance will have to be struck between regulating artificial intelligence and fostering innovation, this is fundamental. Overregulation can choke like over disciplining a child. We don’t have to impede the spirit of entrepreneurship but at the same time, we have to be extremely cognisant of the evil effects. Underregulation can endanger public safety, perpetuate bias, and erode trust.
The author in his address had reflected on these problems. One of the greatest challenges that we face these days is, and let me come to the institution which I preside, every word is spoken in the Council of States by a member of Parliament. The Member of Parliament has the immunity from civil prosecution, criminal prosecution. The constitutional protection given to the member, even if the observations are slanderous, malicious, defamatory, damaging reputations of people, setting narratives that are anti-national, not factually well-premised, no citizen of the country can take action. Therefore, action has to be taken by the Council of States, self-regulation. But then, the quickest we can do is, if an Hon’ble Member makes an objectionable observation, it can be expunged. That is expunged only from the record. That is expunged only for posterity. But it gets the widest traction, how to deal with it.
I have tasked a committee headed by a senior parliamentarian, Ghanshyam Tiwari Ji. He heads a committee on ethics, to devise ways and means. One is counselling members. Secondly, calling upon the political parties that put their people in these institutions to discipline them, sensitise them but the critical question is, how do we save the damage? Artificial intelligence has an answer. Machine learning for me, to begin with, was only machine plus learning but it’s a mechanism that can deal with this menace in split seconds. So technology will have to be availed to make things a little more soothing to society.
We must therefore design regulation as a scaffold, not a cage. Our goal should be to enable a framework where responsible innovation thrives and sinister designs, pernicious designs, are neutralised. A risk-based, sector-specific, and principle-driven approach may serve us well in this regard. For instance, the level of scrutiny required for AI used in medical diagnostics should differ from the artificial intelligence creating social media feeds. We must assert India’s cyber sovereignty as much as we do the sovereignty understood in common parlance. But we have to be aligned to global standards. There can be no stand-alone activity in such kind of situations. There will have to be global convergence. All stakeholders will have to come on one platform so that we have a global, rule-based order in the field of artificial intelligence.
India is a unique country, our civilisational depth is more than 5,000 years. Our ethos, our culture, our values, our knowledge is reflected in our Vedas, our epics. India has been a thought leader for centuries. A global centre of culture. Our institutes of excellence were thrown by scholars from all over the world Takshashila, Nalanda, to name only two. They came, gave us much, took away much, shared it, our treasure.
In G20, India has taken a great initiative to generate a global community and that was reflected in India’s G20 motto, “One Earth, One Family, One Future.” Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. It was the vision of the Prime Minister that brought in the fold of G20 nations of the African Union. European Union was already represented. Global South in neglect for quite long. A word not even known to many. But an important segment of countries in global polity and economy was put on the centre stage. We need to work out something where artificial intelligence can be on that level. The first step has been taken through our India Stack Programme. We are making many of our digital governance solutions open source so the journey of other developing nations gets this facility. Most importantly, the impact of artificial intelligence on ordinary citizens must be at the heart of regulatory regime.
An ordinary person will not be able to find solutions on his own. The system must provide automatic, inbuilt relief to ordinary citizens. To protect our citizens from the hazards of artificial intelligence, we need enforceable rights, such as right to explanation, the right to contest automated decisions. Decisions are automated. How to contest them, we are not aware and the right to opt out of algorithmic processing, especially when decisions impact livelihoods, liberty, and dignity.
Artificial Intelligence has generated a compulsive scenario for us. It has forced us to re-examine existing jurisprudence. Traditional legal concepts like liability, or even personhood come under pressure when actions are carried out by autonomous systems. Artificial intelligence opacity challenges legal transparency and accountability principles. Delegating legal interpretation to unexplainable systems undermines judicial trust.
Current legal artificial intelligence use lacks, this use is not complete. If we use current legal artificial intelligence, we find one deficiency. It lacks comprehensive regulation and oversight. There is urgent need for standards and safeguards to prevent consequences of unregulated artificial intelligence. Debate continues to raise all over whether artificial intelligence promotes legal consistency or perpetuates historical biases.
Justice at the risk, and the risk is great, justice at risk when algorithms lacking human qualities influence law, judgments can’t be robotised. There can be no artificial intelligence replication. Sometimes the distinction is too fine to be detected even by artificial intelligence. It is the brain of the judge, the discerning brain, that finds a resolution.
This book, friends, provides a road map for responsible artificial intelligence integration through case studies and regulation proposals. To put it in layman’s language, if you wish to know a gentleman, Google has enough to give you. You can assimilate it, but trust me, you will be ignorant of the person. You have to go much beyond Google, you have to go much beyond artificial intelligence to know the man.
Future of legal artificial intelligence requires deliberate shaping by professionals and policy makers. Friends, if artificial intelligence is not regulated, we will face trial by artificial intelligence. That will be a tough trial. The fundamentals of legal jurisprudence, like opportunity of hearing, a fair process, are its first casualty. Therefore, to prevent that, time is now to focus on ‘Artificial Intelligence on Trial’.
Every person now has power in his hand because of smartphones. Media has come to be defined very differently.
People are increasingly focused. The focus is intense on social media. The news sharing is the fastest on social media but what happens if it is moderated? It is manipulated? It is inspired by interests inimical to Bharat? It is aimed at destroying our constitutional institutions? Let me give you a highly alarmingly concerning aspect.
Access to judiciary is a fundamental right and when it comes to challenge to individual’s fundamental rights, the doors of the highest court are open under Article 32 petitions but what we have seen of late?
Access to judiciary has been weaponised by forces in a systemic manner, fuelled by extra-legal mechanisms, dubiously financed, and the object being to destroy core values of Bharat. We have to be extremely worried.
I must share a deep concern with you, while institutions have to self-regulate themselves but parliamentary institutions and judiciary blossom only when they self-regulate. We must have respect for these institutions’ inter se, and I hold every institution in high regard. But I firmly believe if there is an incursion in the domain of an institution, be it executive, judiciary, or legislature, by another institution, the doctrine of separation of powers will be stressed. The stress will be severe. The consequences may be huge.
Therefore, time has come. These institutions also, one, to apply technology like artificial intelligence to enhance, to secure cutting-edge in their administrative working, and in delivering in their core areas, like judiciary has to deliver through judgments, legislature has to do it through legislation, and holding the executive accountable.
But similarly, and it is undoubtedly a considered proposition, in all democratic nations, executive governance is the only way of life, because people elect their representatives for governance and for legislation but those who have the numbers get into executive seat from governments. If executive function is performed not by the government but by legislature or by judiciary, where is the accountability? Executive governance by another institution other than government is antithetical to our constitutional values.
It is negation of power of the people, ‘We the People’, who gave us this constitution. Therefore, such kind of technologies can really get into even-handedness working, equitable working. The equilibrium can be maintained. I strongly advocate that we must be extremely sensitive to institutional domains. But at the same time, we must have highest regard for our institutions.
We as a nation are proud for our Parliament, that we are proud of our judiciary. We are equally proud of our executive and you have to look back for last 10 years, our performance, and you will know the statement is well thought out, well premised.
I must also advert to another aspect. India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act, much is being talked about it. People are having varying opinions, and that is the essence of democracy. Because a dialogue requires varying opinions. No one can be judgmental that I alone am right in democracy. Our Digital Personal Data Protection Act is a landmark step, but it now has to evolve in tandem with artificial intelligence regulation. Consent must be meaningful, those who are lawyers know it. A consent that is not free is no consent in law. And free means real freedom to give your consent. Consent cannot be buried in opaque and abstruse terms of service. I am sometimes surprised when I use my mobile phone, go to some application, there is pressure, I agree.
Now in utter helplessness, you concede a very personal ground. Unknowingly, you are lured or forced. Otherwise, the utilisation doesn’t fructify with ease. Consent cannot be in opaque and abstruse terms of service. Anonymisation, data minimisation, and purpose limitation must be rigorously enforced.
The regulation of artificial intelligence must be very transparent. It must go hand in hand with re-skilling and workforce planning. As artificial intelligence displaces certain tasks, it will. Because it has come to your house, come to your office. It does jobs sometimes better than normal resource and then an impression is gathered. Are we risking the jobs of people who work? Maybe in some situations, but then it does offer the stars of involvement. We must look in that direction. This requires that we must invest very heavily in education, vocational training, digital literacy, particularly for those who are marginalised, who are vulnerable, who need hand-holding situations.
Artificial intelligence, the governance part of it, I see it after deep thought, cannot be left only to technocrats or corporations. Democratic oversight is quintessence of democracy. Citizen engagement and transparency are essential. India’s parliamentary committees, judicial forums, and civil society, all are stakeholders. They must converge to secure the citizen against ill effects, evil effects of artificial intelligence.
Now, artificial intelligence, disruptive technologies are like another industrial revolution. There is paradigm shift every moment. We seem to be on quicksand when it comes to technological changes. Changes are taking place by the hour, I can say by the seconds. Therefore, to regulate something that is as dynamic as artificial intelligence, we need an agile and empowered institutional framework.
A national artificial intelligence authority or commission, independent but accountable with representation from government, industry, academia, and civil society could serve as a think tank. Let me give a simple illustration. This is turning out into a huge problem. People are losing the money from their banks. Now, artificial intelligence must find a solution that once something is stolen by electronic means on account of an inadvertent error or whereas citizen becomes prey to mischief in technology to neutralise and ensure traction of money is controlled. We are still very conventional.
The person has to go to a police station, and we find the area is in another state, so a physical visit has to be made. By that time, the crooks, the rogues who get themselves this kind of unjust enrichment move their working pattern. We need to do something about it.
I greatly appreciate the effort of Sujeet Kumar and his young colleague, Tosif Alam, and I have carefully gone through, having had the benefit of book in advance, of the comments that emanated from Justice Ranjan Gogoi and our N. R. Narayana Murthy, Justice T. S. Sivagnanam. He was a judge when I was governor of the state of Bengal.
Rajeev Chandrasekhar, a technocrat with deep belief, I share one thing in common with our young friend, Tauseef Alam. Salman Khurshid is a dear friend of mine, a distinguished senior advocate, and you have to learn a lot from his style. He absorbs everything which is a challenge by way of thought process, but makes his point in a subtle manner.
Friends, in conclusion, the topic of regulation of AI will determine the kind of society we aspire to be. It has become a most important factor where we will be. Do we wish to become a digital dystopia where humans serve algorithm or a humane artificial Indian society where technology serves the people? The choice is ours. The choice is well known. There is nothing in artificial intelligence, it is far away from the human mind, so we must use capacity of human mind to regulate this artificial intelligence. It is on trial as per the book.
Let artificial intelligence not put us on trial. I’m extremely happy to release this book. It will be an eye-opener to everyone in all spheres of life. I wish the authors success for their next venture.
Thank you so much.
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