AI regulation: India can look to Japan for a balanced framework
livemint.comIn 1991, the Indian government articulated a ‘Look East’ policy to build extensive economic and strategic relations with its eastern neighbours and Southeast Asia. This was different from the traditional ‘West facing’ outlook, in which we looked to learn from Europe and North America. With the age of AI upon us, India is considering how it should both foster and regulate this powerful new technology which can reshape industry, society and geopolitics.
AI promises huge economic and social benefits, but there are concerns around copyright, human rights violations, privacy and fairness. For instance, the issue of deepfakes clouded the recent elections, with fears of democracy being subverted. For regulating AI, should India look West towards the EU and its AI Act, or at the US and UK, which are considering more Big Tech-friendly regimes? I believe that India should bring back its Look East philosophy and learn from another large democracy, Japan, which has been quietly building an AI regulatory regime that balances the need for integrating AI safely in society with building an environment for innovation.
It sees AI as a lever with which it can leapfrog decades of stagnation in its innovation and tech ecosystem. Similarly, AI can offer India a strong impetus to become Viksit Bharat by 2047. Japan effectively leveraged the 2023 G7 summit, where the Hiroshima AI process gave a clarion call for exploring various frameworks to regulate AI.
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