Govt proposes strict IT rules to curb AI misuse, moots mandatory labelling of deepfakes
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Representative image: Artificial Intelligence Photograph: (Pexels)
As per the changes, all platforms must verify that users making AI disclosures do so accurately and display them prominently. Besides, the AI-generated content labels must cover at least 10 per cent of the display. For audio content, the disclaimer should be in the first 10% of the time.
The Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has proposed changes in rules to curb any harm from AI-generated deepfakes and similar content with amendments that mandate labelling and prominent markers to ensure users can distinguish authentic and artificially generated content along with greater accountability for social media platforms. As per the proposed changes, all social media users who use artificial intelligence (AI) to generate or modify content must declare so when uploading it online. In a draft amendment to the Information Technology (IT) Rules, 2021, the ministry said that all internet intermediaries that allow AI-generated content must ensure that it is “prominently labelled or embedded with a permanent unique metadata or identifier.”
The ministry has sought comments from all stakeholders by November 6 before finalising the changes.
Under the proposed amendment, all platforms must verify that users making AI disclosures are doing so accurately and that the declarations are “prominently displayed.” It also specifies that AI-generated content labels must cover at least 10 per cent of the displayed area.
For audio-based content, the label or disclaimer should appear during the first 10 per cent of its duration.
Intermediaries are also prohibited from enabling tools that allow “modification, suppression or removal” of these labels, metadata, or identifiers.
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Intermediaries to be responsible for integrity of AI disclosures
The proposed amendment makes intermediaries responsible for maintaining the integrity of AI disclosures. They must put in place technical tools to verify the authenticity of user declarations and ensure compliance with the labelling requirement.
“Social media and internet intermediaries should ensure they have the tools or necessary technical measures to verify the accuracy of the declaration made by the user,” reads the draft.
The changes reflect growing concerns over the misuse of generative AI tools for misinformation, deepfakes, and manipulated media ahead of national elections.
The ministry has asked for inputs from technology companies, digital platforms, civil society groups, and the general public on the proposal.
The changes would lead to stricter compliance obligations for AI content moderation and transparency.
The potential for misuse of generative AI tools “to cause user harm, spread misinformation, manipulate elections, or impersonate individuals has grown significantly,” the IT Ministry said in a press release.
With the increasing availability of generative AI tools, the potential for misuse of such technologies to cause user harm, spread misinformation, manipulate elections, or impersonate individuals has grown significantly, it added.
The proposed rules mandate social media companies to require their users to declare if they are uploading deepfake content.
With nearly 1 billion internet users, the stakes are high in India, which has many ethnic and religious communities where fake news risks stirring up deadly strife and AI deepfake videos have alarmed officials during elections.
