NEW DELHI: India will strengthen its artificial intelligence (AI) governance and create a framework for other nations to follow, said Dr. Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, Minister of State for Communications on Thursday.
The minister, while addressing the International AI Summit organized on the sidelines of the India Mobile Congress 2025 at Yashobhoomi, New Delhi, also highlighted how digital technologies are reshaping everyday life. He noted that UPI has made seamless payments universal, ONDC has opened up e-commerce opportunities for small sellers, and AI-powered alert systems saved over 500,000 lives during the 2024 Kerala floods.
“In disaster management, AI saved 500,000 lives during the 2024 Kerala floods through early warning systems. The Department of Telecom’s Digital Intelligence Platform is fighting fraud with AI—and winning,” said the minister.
Citing the Department of Telecommunications’ AI-driven Fraud Risk Indicator, which blocked 4.8 million scams and prevented losses of ₹140 crore, he said these innovations exemplify how India uses AI to empower, protect, and uplift its people.
While recognizing AI’s transformative potential, Dr. Pemmasani cautioned against its unchecked risks. “Deepfakes are undermining democracy,” he said, referring to more than 50 fake videos that circulated during the 2024 elections, spreading misinformation and eroding trust in public discourse.
Highlighting the issue of algorithmic bias, he noted that “AI hiring tools rejected 40% more women in IT jobs, and lending algorithms denied rural applicants unfairly.” Technology meant to be neutral, he observed, has instead mirrored social prejudices, deepening inequality.
The minister also drew attention to the risks of automation and privacy violations, warning that by 2030, 15 to 30 percent of jobs in IT and manufacturing could face displacement. He pointed out that facial recognition systems have misidentified minorities with up to 80 percent error rates, while in healthcare, AI misdiagnosed 20 percent of tuberculosis cases in Uttar Pradesh hospitals—underscoring the danger of opaque, unaccountable systems.
Calling for a collective and ethical AI response, Dr. Pemmasani urged governments, industries and citizens to act decisively. He outlined a five-point framework for responsible AI governance: combat bias through mandated fairness audits and the use of diverse datasets; protect jobs by reskilling the workforce through initiatives like IndiaAI FutureSkills, which aims to prepare millions for AI-driven roles; safeguard privacy by enforcing strong data protection laws and promoting federated learning models; ensure transparency by requiring explainable AI in sectors such as healthcare, finance, and justice; and lead with ethics by building governance frameworks aligned with global standards while rooted in Indian values.
