The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among prominent world leaders who signed off on the joint declaration on “inclusive and sustainable” Artificial Intelligence (AI), issued at the conclusion of a summit this week in Paris. A commitment to make AI “open, inclusive, transparent, ethical, safe, secure and trustworthy” is among the priorities identified in the communique. The Prime Minister’s affirmation of this pledge before a world gathering is significant, not in the least because the U.S. and the UK refused to back the initiative spearheaded by the French President, Emmanuel Macron.

The timing of Mr. Modi’s endorsement of the Paris declaration could not have been more significant from a domestic standpoint. The document that he backed broadly echoes the spirit of the recommendations for the development of an AI for an ‘India-specific Regulatory Framework.’ These proposals were submitted in December by the ‘AI Governance and Guidelines Development’ sub-committee of the multi-stakeholder Advisory Group set up by the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITy).

Among others, the recommendations emphasise a strong ethical orientation, safeguarding the public interest, respect for the rule of law and human rights, transparency and accountability. Crucially, the group, chaired by the government’s principal scientific advisor,........

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