We organized a round-table discussion, ‘AI – Legal hurdles and policy direction for Indian entrepreneurs’ on 5 March 2024 in Bengaluru. This came against the backdrop of a widely-criticised advisory issued by India’s IT ministry, asking companies to seek government permission before releasing under-tested or unreliable AI models for public use, among other requirements. (A week or so after our event, this advisory was later revised to exempt startups among other things.) Our aim was to give a platform for the AI innovation ecosystem to voice their opinions and participate in policy making conversations on AI.
Our event brought together 20 experts including founders and AI heads of start-ups, venture capital (VC) investors, general counsels (GCs) at start-ups and VCs, and policy advisors, to discuss their concerns with this advisory and more importantly, gauge the Indian startup ecosystem’s wish-list for AI regulation in India.This event was a part of our efforts towards driving thoughtful discourse on AI policy and law in India, shaping responsible AI regulation in the country and engaging with key stakeholders.