India Leads Global Effort to Combat Deepfakes: Building a Unified AI Regulatory Framework

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India Leads Global Effort to Establish Stringent AI Regulatory Framework Amid Deepfake Misuse Concerns

The Indian government has taken a proactive stance in addressing the growing misuse of artificial intelligence, particularly deepfakes and synthetic misinformation, by engaging with over 30 countries to develop a robust global regulatory framework. This multilateral push aims to establish common standards, accountability mechanisms, and compliance models at the international level.

Mandatory Watermarking and Labeling of AI-Generated Content

A key aspect of the proposed framework is the mandatory watermarking and labeling of AI-generated content, enabling users to distinguish between authentic and artificially created material. This move is crucial in mitigating the risks associated with deepfakes, which have been increasingly used in electoral manipulation, financial fraud, digital arrest scams, and social polarization.

According to government assessments, deepfakes pose a significant threat to institutional trust, eroding confidence in families, social identities, media, and governance structures.

Shared Responsibility Framework

To address this challenge, a shared responsibility framework is being proposed, which will hold AI developers, social media platforms, and content creators accountable for transparency, rapid takedown of harmful content, and periodic risk-assessment reports.

Technical Discussions

Technical discussions are focusing on watermarking technologies, AI model logging, automated detection tools, and platform compliance audits. The proposed framework may also introduce risk-based classification of AI systems, with enhanced oversight for high-impact models.

Policy Objective

The policy objective is to ensure that technology strengthens trust rather than undermines it, maintaining a balance between innovation and user safety while safeguarding the credibility of information ecosystems.

As the digital economy expands and AI adoption accelerates, stricter compliance, transparency, and accountability norms for AI platforms are likely on the horizon. The Indian government’s efforts to establish a global regulatory framework for AI governance are a significant step towards addressing the challenges posed by deepfakes and ensuring that technology is harnessed for the greater good.