Govt moots always-on labels for AI content

The government on Tuesday proposed labels be persistently displayed on any artificial intelligence (Al)-generated content when hosted on social media platform, a shift from the existing proposals to tweak the Information Technology (IT) Rules 2021 that laid down the need for such distinction.

- Sejal Sharma

In a notice issued on April 21, the ministry of electronics and information technology (Meity) proposed an amendment to Rule 3(3)(a)(ii) of the IT Rules, adding language that requires “continuous and clearly visible display of label for synthetically generated information [AI generated content] throughout the duration of the content in visual display.”

Rule 3(3)(a)(ii) itself is a relatively recent addition, notified by the government in February as part of a broader set of obligations for social media intermediaries with respect to synthetically generated content (SGI). The change, introduced just two months after the rule was notified, is intended to ensure that the label does not disappear after the initial few seconds of a video or visual display, a Meity official said. The ministry has invited feedback and comments ‘on the amendment till May 7.