Tech Policy X Indian General Elections 2024 -- Expert Opinions and Analysis

We hosted 3 key panels on: India's Rise of Misinfo, Disinfo & DeepFakes; Big Tech and Content Moderation; and AI Explosion Forces India to find independent approach to Tech Policy.

NEW DELHI — Check out the videos and in-depth analysis regarding an exciting, wide-ranging conference I recently organized in Delhi with the Council for Strategic and Defense Research on Tech Policy X Elections in India as the 2024 General Elections occurred all across the country.

We had 3 key panels:

➤ ‘India's Rise of Misinformation and Disinformation -- A Discussion with BJP and Congress Leaders’ (Link to the Full Video)

➤ ‘Big Tech Platforms and Content Moderation in India: The Messy World of Regulating Online Speech’ (Link to the Full Video)

➤ ‘AI Explosion Forces India to Find Independent Approach to Tech Policy’ (Link to the Full Video)

Below I’ve summarized the juiciest tidbits and insightful learnings from each of the 3 conference panels in a short and snappy fashion similar to a Tweet Thread:

Rise of Misinformation and Disinformation in India: Navigating the Impact of DeepFakes and Malicious Actors

An in-depth discussion with BJP and Congress leaders on the intersection of technology, misinformation, and elections. As we geared up for the 2024 General Election, there is a pressing need to address the nexus between truth, misinformation, and the rapidly advancing role of artificial intelligence and AI-driven Deepfakes that have arisen.

1. There was a unanimous agreement among the panelists, including top BJP and Congress leaders like Charu Pragya and Ruchira Chaturvedi on Misinformation/Disinformation being a big problem and how political parties themselves are major spreaders. They further discussed the underlying causes and motivations behind the issue.   

2. Data suggests that 65% of the first-time voters in India have received fake news via social media platforms; over 37% of them admitted to being directly impacted by it. Another study shows that 40-50% of the disinformation stem from the political parties, with their supporters or unofficial arms sharing it widely.

3. BJP and Congress party officials, particularly low and mid-level members  are incentivized to say and spread misleading info in order to get their 15 seconds of fame and rise within the party, said BJP and Congress officials. 

4. While there is serious action taken against senior officials or are held accountable for falling out of line, there is very little accountability and transparency of the social media habits and info sharing of low-mid level officials within Congress and BJP. Prashant Umrao and Shobha Karandlaje were mentioned as examples of mass misinformation spreaders whose behaviour improved after becoming senior officials.

5. Currently, the only true force that stops political parties and their officials from spreading fake news is their self-interest. BJP’s Charu Pragya said, ‘there is an understanding that nothing should harm the party. Political parties and officials take this seriously to avoid getting penalized.’

6. Fact-checkers and scholars said that political parties like BJP and Congress (INC)'s internal social media training (most of us didn't know they even exist!) on Misinformation and Disinformation are "absolutely not working" and that more transparency is needed on this.

7. Panelists agree with the need for more and better media literacy in India, an independent and trusted fact-checking institution, as well as more accountability and transparency regarding political parties’ social media habits. But little to nothing is happening to actually implement these solutions, the panelists highlighted.

Big Tech Platforms and Content Moderation in India: The Messy World of Regulating Online Speech

A discussion focused on how, in the contemporary digital era, social media and AI have transformed the realm of elections by changing the way that political campaigns are conducted, voters are profiled and targeted, and electoral processes are managed. There was a particular focus on dissecting, understanding, and addressing the multifaceted nature of anticipated content moderation crises and catastrophes in the Indian elections.

1. There exists a huge gap in content moderation between the US and Europe market (where it’s better and efficient) and the Indian market, a linguistically-diverse place. There are double standards and unfairness when it comes to implementing content moderation standards by the Big Tech platforms like Google and Meta regarding content generated in English compared to non-English languages such as Hindi, Tamil, Urdu, Bangla etc.

2. India, a home to over 820 million internet users, is an expanding market for social media platforms, with a large user base. India’s culturally, economically and socially diverse online user bases necessitate platforms to have huge data sets within different languages, which they currently lack. 

3. There is no clear legal framework for the platforms to adhere to when it comes to content moderation, pointing to a lack of a unified approach to tackle the issue. Then, for India to have AI solutions to content moderation and misinformation, a huge investment will be needed.     

4. Adding to the list of challenges on major social media platforms is the fact that user content uploading speeds are much faster than the platforms’ takedown rates for harmful content, creating a stark contrast that is problematic and calls for rebalancing of priorities. 

5. Algorithmic amplification can boost polarizing content as well, which can be tackled with algorithmic auditing and greater algorithmic transparency as a possible fix. However, this is a complex issue with no comprehensive solution. 

6. Any stricter action by the platforms in the direction of content moderation may come across as censorship, posing a threat to freedom of expression, said Berges Malu from one of India’s largest homemade social media platforms, ShareChat.  

7. Increasing awareness and media literacy among users; contextual moderation by platforms with the help of human intervention; and platforms complying with existing IT laws and digital rights’ best practices were some of the solutions proposed by the panelists.

India's Quest for Technological Sovereignty: Navigating the AI Boom and Crafting an Independent Tech Policy

A conversation examining the responses of the government, prominent AI developers, digital rights organizations, civil society, and technology experts to the rapid proliferation of AI in India. The discourse centered on India’s endeavour to carve out its unique stance concerning policies, regulations, and innovation in AI. This pursuit involves drawing inspiration from certain aspects of AI strategies employed by the US, EU, and China while charting its own distinct trajectory for AI advancement. 

1. Two of the scariest and most concerning uses of AI that will impact the largest number of Indians, according to Apar Gupta, include:

• Digitizing welfare services that use biometry, which can have major exclusion issues.

• Mass surveillance technologies that allow government to spy on a person’s movement throughout the day.

  2. 2024 general elections in India have witnessed a proliferation of AI voice clones and deep fake videos of political leaders that are intended to satirize them for entertainment sake and  “have been released in every nook and corner of the villages in the country”, said Sagar Vishnoi.

2. Responding to this, the panelists agreed that an urgent action regarding AI policy is the need of the hour, but also admitted that India currently lacks a clear and comprehensive approach to AI when it comes to regulations and innovation.

3. Panelists highlighted the importance of addressing potential biases in AI systems but mentioned a lack of necessary capacity within the IT and Electronics Ministry and a need for many more seasoned expert individuals with tech proficiency in the Indian government. 

4. The Indian IT Ministry leading the central government’s AI policymaking isn't an independent ministry with a senior cabinet position and lacks power and security in political and financial terms in order to drive policymaking, which makes it a weak place for significant AI policymaking to emerge, panelists said.

5. For policymaking, the Indian government should consult other ministries, not just the IT ministry, on how AI will impact them, said Apar Gupta. According to panelists, a strong approach to AI in India can’t stand in isolation and will need to be built upon a comprehensive tech policy agenda focused on privacy, security, workforce development, and skilling as well.

6. From the Tech industries’ perspective, Indian consumers can be divided into B2B (Business to Business) and B2C (Business to Consumer) categories. Venkatesh Krishnamoorthy from BSA said that B2B market in India is a little ahead of B2C, which is at a nascent stage while also admitting that AI may boost B2C in the future.

7. Commenting on AI's use in the 2024 elections, Apar Gupta said that local election bodies or state ECs are doing content moderation and taking down content almost entirely through AI. Politicians also use AI tools to survey 10-100 million people within a few days, saving campaigns huge amounts of time and money both, said Sagar Vishnoi.

8. On the future of India’s AI policymaking and regulations, multiple panelists like Apar Gupta said that Indian government will not look towards the US or Europe or China in crafting its approach to AI; instead, it will adopt a middle pathway, which is not defined yet.

Special thanks to Nikita Tiwari for all her hard work and assistance in editing the videos (a mind-boggling challenge despite how simple it seems) and helping summarize key learnings from the panel discussions in a snappy and engaging fashion.