AI shouldn't create synthetic content without individual consent: Ashwini Vaishnaw
What's the story
Union Minister of Electronics and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, has said that artificial intelligence (AI) should not be used to create synthetic content without the individual's consent. He made this statement at the Digital News Publishers Association (DNPA) Conclave on February 26. Vaishnaw stressed that "the time has come to make that big inflectional change."
Trust erosion
Erosion of trust in society's pillars
At the DNPA Conclave, Vaishnaw spoke about the erosion of trust in various pillars of human society, including media, legislature, and judiciary. He blamed this on deepfakes and a flood of disinformation. "The core tenet of trust is under threat. It is coming in different forms, deepfakes, things which have never happened anywhere; disinformation... creating synthetically generated pictures of well-respected people," he said.
Accountability
Platforms hosting such content should be held accountable
Vaishnaw also emphasized that platforms hosting such content should be held accountable. He said, "Platforms must wake up, must understand the importance of reinforcing trust in the institutions which human society has created over thousands of years." The minister also stressed on the need for online safety for children and all citizens, adding that non-adherence to these principles would make them responsible.