India to Unveil Draft AI Ethics Policy in August Amid Rising Tech Adoption

The Indian government is preparing to release a draft of its national AI ethics policy in August, aiming to establish a framework for responsible and inclusive use of artificial intelligence across sectors. The move comes as AI adoption accelerates in governance, healthcare, finance, and defense, raising concerns around bias, privacy, and accountability.

 

Key highlights:

 

- The policy will outline ethical principles for AI development and deployment, including fairness, transparency, and human oversight.

- It builds on earlier work by NITI Aayog, which proposed seven core principles for responsible AI, derived from constitutional values.

- A multi-disciplinary advisory body, tentatively named the Council for Ethics and Technology (CET), is expected to guide implementation and sectoral coordination.

 

Policy scope and goals:

- The draft will address algorithmic bias, deepfake regulation, data privacy, and explainability of AI systems.

- It will recommend mandatory audits for high-risk AI applications and promote sandbox testing for emerging technologies.

- The framework aims to balance innovation with safeguards, encouraging self-regulation in low-risk areas while mandating oversight for critical use cases.

 

Stakeholder engagement:

- The government plans to invite public comments and expert feedback before finalizing the policy.

- Universities may be asked to integrate AI ethics into mainstream curricula to build awareness and capacity.

 

India’s AI ethics policy is expected to shape the country’s digital future, ensuring that technological progress aligns with societal values and democratic norms.

 

Sources: IndiaAI, NITI Aayog, NetMock, The Tomorrow.