Amid rapidly growing technological advancements in generative artificial intelligence (AI) and calls for its regulation, industry body Nasscom on Tuesday released normative guidelines that may act as common standards and protocols for researchers, developers, and users of the technology.
Key recommendations include having an internal oversight for the lifecycle of AI solutions and public disclosure of all technical, non-proprietary information about the development process, as well as of data and algorithm sources used for modelling the solution.
The industry body also suggested that all stakeholders create technical means to furnish explanations for outputs generated by solutions in cases involving high stakes, such as consumer credit lending. They should also strictly adhere to data protection and IP rules in data collection and processing, the guidelines say.
They further advise that developers establish grievance redress mechanisms to deal with mishaps caused by the development, deployment, and use of generative AI-based solutions.
The draft guidelines have been framed after consultations with the technology industry, a multi-disciplinary group of AI experts, researchers, and practitioners, with representations from academia and civil society, Nasscom said.
The document of guidelines says it intends to build stakeholder consensus on the core normative obligations among stakeholders and is not an operational manual or guidebook.
The guidelines have defined potential harms associated with research, development, and use of generative AI technologies. The list includes proliferation of misinformation and hateful content, infringement of intellectual property (IP), and academic malpractices. It also includes privacy harms, propagation of social, economic and political biases, large-scale job displacements, high carbon footprint, and rise in cyberattacks.
Governments worldwide have started preparing for regulation of generative AI due to its potential misuse. Sam Altman, chief executive officer of OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, has also called for increased regulation of the technology.
“In the era of AI, a robust governance framework will provide the necessary structure and guidelines to ensure the smooth development and implementation of GenAI, fostering trust, accountability, and ethical decision-making. The guidelines would help the ecosystem unleash the true potential of AI, creating a future that harmoniously blends human ingenuity with technological advancement,” said Anant Maheshwari, chairperson, Nasscom (also president, Microsoft India).
The guidelines by Nasscom are expected to develop specific guidance for different use cases, and improve the existing responsible AI resource kit launched in October 2022 to facilitate adoption of responsible AI.
Alkesh Kumar Sharma, secretary at the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, said: “The current pace of innovation in AI tools and platforms has created enormous opportunities and risks that every country is looking at. Self-governance is a useful tool to fill the gap between innovation and regulation and I would urge the technology industry to lead by example by taking these guidelines to the next step of adoption and building practices and tools that can be used across all sectors.”
In the guidebook
Internal oversight throughout lifecycle of AI solutions
Public disclosure of data and algorithm sources used for modelling
Adherence to data protection and IP rules in data collection and processing
Explanations for outputs generated by products with high stakes
Establishing grievance redress mechanisms to deal with mishaps
Alignment with sustainability goals for social and environmental well-being
 "Nasscom releases normative guidelines on generative artificial intelligence")
