Delhi High Court grants Centre two weeks to respond to PIL on AI and deepfake regulation

The Delhi High Court has extended a two-week deadline for the Centre to present its response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) addressing the lack of regulations governing Artificial Intelligence (AI) and deepfake technologies in India.

The PIL, filed by advocate Chaitanya Rohilla via advocate Manohar Lal, specifically requests the Centre to take action in identifying and restricting access to websites hosting deepfakes and AI. It further calls for the establishment of comprehensive guidelines for their regulation.

During the proceedings, the court stressed the vast scope of the issue, affirming that the Union of India is best positioned to devise the necessary regulations in response to the PIL.

Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet PS Arora underscored the magnitude of the matter, stating, "This matter has a large dimension so we thought the Union of India would be the best to frame rules. Let the UoI apply its mind first," as they scheduled the next hearing for February 19.

Previously, in December of the preceding year, the high court had sought the Central government’s stance on the same PIL. The petition urges the court to ensure the equitable implementation of AI and issue directives for accessing AI and deepfakes in alignment with the fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution.

During an earlier hearing, the bench, comprising Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Mini Pushkarna, acknowledged the intricate nature of AI and deepfake concerns. They underlined the complexities involved in addressing these issues, highlighting the need to comprehend the significance of technology and its advantageous aspects.

While the Centre’s counsel asserted that the PIL's concerns pertain to the domain of legislation and that the government is actively engaging with them, the court stressed the necessity of balancing conflicting interests and conducting extensive deliberations to find a solution.

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