The National Association of Software and Service Companies (Nasscom) told the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) that there is a need for a common consultation process across ministries while examining new laws and regulations around Artificial Intelligence and Big Data. “We have suggested that the Government of India look to establish or designate a dedicated and independent nodal body or office, with relevant subject matter expertise, and focussing on serving as a steering mechanism for national and inter-ministerial coordination on AI,” said the tech body that represents over 3,000 tech and IT companies, including Google.
So far, 14 different initiatives on Artificial Intelligence, have been launched by the Centre across various ministries. Central ministries, NITI Aayog, Ministry of Electronics and IT, Department of Telecommunications, and the National E-governance division oversee these initiatives.
Therefore, “we do note that there is a need for a coordination mechanism to ensure a whole-of-government approach can be achieved,” said Nasscom. The association added that the role of such a body or office could be to ensure that these various initiatives can come together and provide a whole-of-government approach. Rather than regulation by default, it can prioritise, to ensure that the Centre does not further duplicate existing efforts. Such a body can also run integrated consultation processes to solicit evidence on issues of relevance across the government. It can also help different government initiatives unite to leverage the various initiatives and programs in the private sector in a unified manner.
Nasscom’s comments came in response to TRAI’s consultation paper on Leveraging Artificial Intelligence and Big Data in the telecommunication sector.
On addressing risks to AI systems through policy interventions, NASSCOM noted that the starting point must be to have a data protection law in place. “As a starting point, two risks that are well-understood but on which progress is limited should be our priority to address: firstly, risks to informational privacy and secondly, risks to data security. It is essential to have a personal data protection law in place since it can play a significant role in addressing privacy and data protection risks posed by AI systems,” said Nasscom.