Government proposes mandatory disclosure of AI-generated content

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has proposed amendments to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, to make it mandatory for social media platforms to label content generated using artificial intelligence.

The draft amendment, issued on Wednesday, requires users to self-declare whether content they upload is AI-generated. If a user fails to make such a declaration, platforms will be required to detect and label synthetic content proactively.

According to the draft, the label must cover at least 10 per cent of the content’s surface area and apply to all forms of synthetic material, including text, audio and video.

“In Parliament as well as many other fora, people have demanded that something should be done about the deepfakes which are harming society,” Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told reporters. He said the new rules aim to ensure that users can distinguish between real and synthetic material.

The proposed definition of “synthetically generated information” covers any content created, modified or altered using a computer resource in a way that makes it appear authentic. Intermediaries offering tools that generate such content will be required to embed a visible or audible label or unique metadata identifier within the content.

The Ministry has invited public comments on the draft amendment until 6 November.

 

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