Proposed AI Labelling Norms in India Raise Compliance Costs and Challenges
Continuous AI labelling norms to raise compliance bar, costs: Experts
The Economic TimesImage: The Economic Times
India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has proposed stricter labelling requirements for AI-generated content, mandating continuous visibility of labels. While aimed at enhancing transparency, experts warn this could significantly increase compliance costs and complicate content creation, particularly for smaller creators.
- 01Proposed amendments require continuous visibility of labels for AI-generated content.
- 02The new rules apply to all social media and AI tool users, not just news platforms.
- 03Experts predict increased costs and challenges for content creators and platforms.
- 04Concerns exist over the potential impact on creative formats and user experience.
- 05The amendments aim to improve accountability but may complicate compliance and execution.
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The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) in India has proposed amendments to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2026, requiring that labels identifying AI-generated content be continuously visible. This move represents India's first regulatory effort to address issues related to synthetically generated information (SGI), aiming to enhance platform accountability. Experts, however, express concerns that these stricter compliance requirements could significantly increase costs for content creators, particularly those just starting out. Sajai Singh, a partner at JSA Advocates and Solicitors, noted that the shift to objective criteria for labelling could lead to prescriptive norms regarding font size and placement, fundamentally altering content production and consumption. Paritosh Desai, chief product officer at IDfy, acknowledged the intent behind the amendments to improve transparency but highlighted execution challenges, especially as content is edited and reshared. The proposed changes could also blur lines between different forms of creative expression, potentially chilling free speech. As the deadline for feedback approaches on May 7, stakeholders emphasize the need for a balance between transparency, usability, and innovation to avoid burdening platforms and creators while enhancing user experience.
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The new labelling requirements could lead to higher production costs for content creators, particularly affecting smaller and emerging creators in India's digital ecosystem.
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