Regulating responsibly for an AI-mediated world

India's digital public sphere is at a defining moment.

- S Krishnan

Advances in artificial intelligence (AI), particularly in the generation and alteration of audio, visual, and audiovisual content, have fundamentally reshaped how information is created, consumed, and trusted. While these technologies expand the possibilities of expression, creativity, and accessibility, they also introduce new risks that touch directly upon individual dignity, social harmony, and constitutional values.Recognising this, the Union government has strengthened the legal and policy architecture governing digital intermediaries. Recent amendments to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, read alongside the India AI Governance Guidelines, 2025, released under the IndiaAI Mission in November 2025, reflect a coherent and calibrated approach - binding legal obligations to address concrete harms, supported by policy principles to guide responsible AI adoption. Together, these instruments signal a clear governing intent: Technological advancement must proceed within a framework that preserves transparency, accountability, and the dignity of the citizen.

The amended Intermediary Rules introduce, for the first time, a precise and operational definition of "synthetically generated information". The definition is carefully calibrated. It captures content that is artificially or algorithmically created or altered in a manner that appears authentic or indistinguishable from reality, while expressly excluding routine, good-faith activities such as technical editing, accessibility enhancements, educational or research material, and legitimate creative use.