India is preparing to introduce sweeping new regulations targeting artificial intelligence (AI)-generated content and the broader digital ecosystem, as the government moves to curb the misuse of emerging technologies such as deepfakes and synthetic media. The proposed amendments to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021-announced this week by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)-would require Big Tech companies to label all AI-generated content and ensure traceability, transparency, and accountability across digital platforms.

The draft proposal comes at a time when countries around the world are grappling with the ethical, political, and security implications of generative AI. From manipulated political videos to fabricated celebrity endorsements, the spread of synthetic content has raised global alarm. India, the world’s largest democracy and one of the biggest social media markets, is particularly concerned about the impact of such technologies on its 2024 general elections and its vast, multilingual information environment.

In its statement, MeitY highlighted that the rise of generative AI tools has created new challenges for content authenticity, user safety, and social stability. “Recent incidents of deepfake audio, videos, and synthetic media going viral on social platforms have demonstrated the potential of generative AI to create convincing falsehoods-depicting individuals in acts or statements they never made,” the ministry said. It warned that such content could easily be “weaponized to spread misinformation, damage reputations, manipulate or influence elections, or commit financial fraud.”

The proposed amendments aim to bridge this regulatory gap by holding social media platforms and AI companies accountable for identifying and labeling synthetic content. India’s move mirrors recent initiatives in the European Union and China, both of which have enacted regulations requiring AI-generated........

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