Google pledges its support to the Indian government in advancing ethical AI development

Google has reaffirmed its commitment to collaborating with the Indian government and industry stakeholders to promote the ethical development of artificial intelligence (AI). This commitment was reiterated on Thursday, 23 November 2023, following a meeting between IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and representatives from major social media platforms and other key stakeholders.

The focus of the discussions was on the emerging threat of deepfakes and the need for strict regulations to detect and restrict their spread. Minister Vaishnaw expressed the government's intent to formulate new regulations promptly. He emphasized that deepfakes had emerged as a new threat to democracy and that they could weaken trust in society and its institutions. This statement came after engaging with stakeholders, including social media platforms, Nasscom, and experts in the field of AI.

Minister Vaishnaw announced that they would start drafting the regulations and emphasized the swift development of a distinct set of regulations specifically targeting deepfakes. He underscored the significance of detecting deepfakes, highlighting the critical need to differentiate between synthetic and deepfake content.

A spokesperson from Google emphasized the necessity of establishing protective measures surrounding synthetic content and highlighted Google's ongoing efforts in developing tools and protocols to mitigate associated risks. The Google spokesperson also expressed his gratitude for the chance to engage in discussions with the government and industry stakeholders regarding the necessity of establishing safeguards around synthetic content. They shared insights into the development of tools and guardrails designed to mitigate associated risks. The spokesperson conveyed a commitment to ongoing collaboration and the sharing of expertise and knowledge, emphasizing a collective goal of promoting responsible AI development.

Google emphasized its overarching approach to AI development, placing a priority on societal benefits while proactively addressing potential challenges in accordance with its AI principles. The company also highlighted its continuous efforts to craft tools and frameworks aimed at preventing technology misuse and empowering individuals to better assess online information.

Investing in cutting-edge technologies such as watermarking and synthetic audio detection, Google aims to enable safer content identification for users navigating the complex landscape of the online sphere. This collaborative effort between Google and the Indian government marks a significant stride towards fostering responsible and ethical AI development in the rapidly evolving digital landscape.