India is making significant strides to shape its digital future, focusing on both citizen protection and becoming a global leader in Artificial Intelligence. The country’s IT Minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw, recently announced discussions with social media companies about implementing age-based restrictions, following similar moves by Australia and France. The aim is clear: to safeguard young teens from potential online harms on popular platforms.
Beyond protecting the youth, India is also intensifying its fight against deepfakes, recognizing this as a rapidly growing concern. New regulations already require social media platforms to clearly label AI-generated content and swiftly remove harmful material. Minister Vaishnaw emphasized the need for even stronger measures to protect both children and society from the evolving threats of AI misuse.
But it’s not just about regulation; India is making a massive push into Artificial Intelligence development. The nation anticipates an astounding $200 billion in AI investments over the next two years, with substantial commitments already secured. Major players like the Adani Group are joining in, planning to invest $100 billion by 2035 in state-of-the-art AI data centers, accelerating India’s ambition to become a global AI hub.
This ambitious vision is currently on display at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, a historic event as the first hosted by a developing country. World leaders and tech luminaries such as OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Google’s Sundar Pichai are in attendance, discussing critical issues from job disruption to AI’s environmental footprint. To support its burgeoning tech ecosystem, India is rapidly expanding its computing power with new GPU deployments, providing high-quality resources for startups, researchers, and students.
With these dual strategies – safeguarding its digital space and aggressively developing AI capabilities – India is firmly positioning itself as a major force in the global technology landscape.
