Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a technology that has a significant impact on our society and has the capacity to shape the future of our democracy. While we have made impressive progress in this field, it is essential not to overlook its potential risks and challenges. As the world’s largest democracy, India must adopt a proactive approach in regulating AI, ensuring it adheres to our values and protects our citizens.
AI applications present both opportunities and challenges. It requires an understanding and management of associated risks. Human intelligence must control AI, recognising its rapid development and increasing influence across sectors.
Some of AI’s challenges include lack of domain knowledge, privacy concerns, and the high cost of computational infrastructure. Apart from these, another major concern is unemployment due to the adoption of AI. The technology, if unregulated, can pose a significant threat to humanity, and it is our collective responsibility to handle the task of regulation.
AI raises issues that go beyond regulation and touch on ethics, privacy, transparency, biases, and manipulations. The challenges it poses to a democracy are numerous.
I represented India at the ‘Second World Summit of the Committees of Future’ held in Uruguay in September 2023 and was one among the parliamentarians from over 70 countries who spoke on the ‘Role of Parliament in Democracy of the Future’. At the summit, I emphasised the need for a global regulatory framework for AI, similar to the treaties used to regulate use of nuclear arms, as the competition to advance in the field of technology leads to safety concerns which are mostly sidelined. I also underlined the challenges of potential job loss due to the adoption of AI, suggesting that job security must be ensured and the use of AI must not be indiscriminate and be limited to areas where it is genuinely necessary.
There is an immediate need to legislate laws regulating AI systems to strike a delicate balance between fostering technological advancement and safeguarding personal liberty and potential misuse. Undoubtedly, the task at hand for the Parliament is onerous because the challenges posed by the AI to democracy are complex and manifold.
With collective and collaborative efforts, and shared experiences, the Parliament is required to embark on a journey to find solutions for the present from the future as part of their anticipatory legislative tasks. The law on AI must ensure that the principles of responsible AI are applied at each phase of the AI framework lifecycle, including design, development, validation, deployment, monitoring, refinement, safeguarding the well-being of citizens, and promoting the democracy of the future.
Any proposed regulations should have high expert independent bodies that permit powerful AI systems to develop only when their positive effects are clear and risks are manageable. The independent regulatory bodies must be tasked with framing regulations related to various aspects of AI. These bodies should define principles for responsible AI and their application based on risk assessment. Regular audits of AI applications are crucial, particularly in high-risk scenarios directly affecting humans.
While we welcome the transformative potential of AI, we must also acknowledge the inherent risks it poses to our society. Our commitment to the principles of responsible AI will not only protect our citizens but also pave the way for a democracy that thrives in the face of technological advancement..
Complex challenges
There is an immediate need to legislate laws regulating AI systems to strike a delicate balance between fostering technological advancement and safeguarding personal liberty and potential misuse. Undoubtedly, the task at hand for the Parliament is onerous because the challenges posed by the AI to democracy are complex.
Footnote is a weekly column that discusses issues relating to Tamil Nadu P Wilson is an advocate and Rajya Sabha MP