India in talks with 30 countries on deepfake safeguards
India's Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw said the government is negotiating with more than 30 countries on technical and legal solutions to combat deepfakes, misinformation, and disinformation.
Speaking at the India AI Impact Summit on Monday, Vaishnaw said these threats attack institutional trust and the foundation of society itself. "Misinformation, disinformation, deepfakes - they are attacking the trust between institutions of family, social identities, and governance," he said.
Watermarking and labeling requirements
The government is developing strict regulations to mandate watermarking and labeling of AI-generated content, Vaishnaw said. The rules aim to protect the authenticity of human creativity as AI tools become more capable.
"Innovation without trust is a liability," Vaishnaw said. "Freedom of speech itself relies on trust, and that trust must be protected."
What this means for creatives
Vaishnaw emphasized that AI will not replace human creativity but coexist with it. The minister said strong copyright and intellectual property protections must evolve alongside AI adoption to ensure creators benefit from new technology.
The government plans to open content creator labs in 15,000 schools across India and establish AI talent pipelines in universities, similar to existing semiconductor programs.
"There should not be a diluting effect but a complementing effect of AI into our lives," Vaishnaw said.
Global platform accountability
Vaishnaw called on digital platforms to account for cultural context when distributing content. "In the digital world, there are no physical boundaries, people forget cultural context. Global platforms must ensure the cultural context based on the country it's being watched rather than on the parent company," he said.
The minister said platforms, AI model developers, and creators all share responsibility for ensuring new technology strengthens rather than erodes trust.
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