CBI must collaborate with academia, startups to tackle AI risks: Vaishnaw

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw highlights AI's growing role in crime, urging CBI to work with academia and startups to address legal, ethical challenges and enhance investigative capabilities

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday emphasised the need for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to collaborate with academia and industries, citing the transformative impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the economic, social, and technological landscape.

 

Speaking at the 21st DP Kohli Memorial Lecture on the 62nd Foundation Day of the CBI, Vaishnaw highlighted how AI is reshaping various domains.

 

“An AI agent can commit a crime. The ethical question that will arise then is who has committed the crime and whom to arrest? Can you arrest an AI agent? Is it the AI creating company that is liable, or is it the AI agent that is liable?” he said.

 

He added that such changes necessitate greater collaboration. “These are the changes which are happening in society today. For such changes which are taking place on the economic, social, and technological fronts, I request the CBI and its great team to look at more collaborations,” said Vaishnaw, who also holds the information and broadcasting, and electronics and information technology portfolios.

 

The minister further stressed the importance of engaging with startups, industries, and academic institutions to navigate these challenges effectively. “For example, in our AI mission, we are collaborating with academia to create many new tools,” he said.

 

To mark the occasion, Vaishnaw conferred the President’s Police Medals for Distinguished Service and Police Medals for Meritorious Service on 26 CBI officers.

 

DP Kohli Memorial Lecture

 

The CBI organises the lecture series to honour its founder director, Dharmnath Prasad Kohli, an esteemed police officer who served as the agency’s first chief from its inception on April 1, 1963, until his retirement on May 31, 1968.

 

“The lecture series has been privileged to feature highly distinguished speakers and luminaries from various fields who share their insights and experiences on relevant topics,” a CBI spokesperson said in a statement, as quoted by news agency PTI.

 

He further noted that the initiative aims to foster dialogue, facilitate knowledge-sharing, and enhance understanding of challenges and solutions in law enforcement, the criminal justice system, and criminal investigations.

 

As India’s National Central Bureau for Interpol, the CBI also plays a key role in coordinating international cooperation in law enforcement.

 

(With agency inputs)