Governing AI

Innovation-first approach can lead to responsible use India’s “Governance Guidelines for Artificial Intelligence” (AI), released recently by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, marks an important milestone in how the country envisions AI governance. In the absence of a dedicated AI law, these guidelines represent a pragmatic step towards anticipatory governance, one that seeks to manage risks without sti-fling innovation. Rather than replicate Western models of precautionary regu-lation, India is crafting a homegrown framework that aligns trust, innovation, and inclusion as mutually reinforcing principles. At the heart of this new archi-tecture are the seven guiding sutras, or principles – trust, people-first design, innovation over restraint, fairness and equity, accountability, understandable by design, and safety, resilience and sustainability.