Finetuning Future

“The future of AI is not about replacing humans; it’s about augmenting human capabilities”

Sundar Pichai

Artificial Intelligence, or AI, as it is most commonly known, is a term which is now familiar to anyone who is using a digital gadget. For instance, a person using the internet through a mobile or laptop trying to search a car, will have a plethora of options which are generated through one or the other AI tool. These AI tools are not only helping to find a particular product, services or its review but also assist in any backend research for the same. The AI tools may get a comparative chart for similar goods and services, pinning the way for the right selection aligning with the requirements.

AI is becoming such a popular tool that now almost all the sectors are using it for their advancement. For instance, the e-commerce sector is using it to enhance the user interface, the social media platforms are using it for assistance in chat or better reach of the content. It is also being used in academics for supplementing the research work and lecture delivery. Often, the content created by AI is more creative and engaging. Artificial intelligence is a wonderful support and is saviour at times. Research, which earlier required hours, has been simplified by AI. Elon Musk has rightly said for AI, “The pace of progress in Artificial Intelligence is incredibly fast.”

But it is rightly said, for every strength there is a weakness. Of late, there have been instances where the use of AI has been turned into misuse. A very common example of wrong use of AI is creation of deepfakes, alongside voice modulations, fake images, ID cards, plagiarism among others. These forms of cybercrime are growing at an alarming rate and creating trouble for the administration to stop these, in addition to making a loss of crores to the victims who fell prey to such traps. Everyday there is news, showcasing how the people are falling for such scams.

Artificial intelligence is growing at a very fast pace, with some or the other new feature being added to it with each passing day. To create an image or poster for an event is relatively easier with AI, than making it by own. At one instance, it was slightly an easier task to differentiate between a human-made content and AI-made content, but as the AI is getting better, it is becoming increasingly difficult to differentiate whether it is an AI or human generated content. Though it is making life easy, but at the same time it is making cybercrime easier.

Having talked about the advantages of AI, let us also discuss some of the disadvantages.

1) Increase in the number of cybercrime cases, especially the deepfakes.

2) Issues relating to violation of Intellectual Property Rights, more often the violations of copyright.

3) AI-generated data may have bias towards one side of the story.

4) Overuse of AI is hampering intellectual ability. For research, drafting an email or writing a post, it seems to be easier to use an AI tool, but in actual terms, it may affect the thinking capability of an individual. Now the thinking part is being overtaken by AI tools.

5) AI may create a dependency on itself, which, in long use, will affect the mind and cognitive capability of a person.

6) Though it is said that AI may have an impact on the job sector, a quote from Ginni Rometty, former CEO of IBM, seems relevant here, “AI will not replace humans, but those who use AI will replace those who don’t”

A Cause of Concern

It is not the use but the misuse of AI that is the actual problem. Over-dependence on anything causes concern or even irreparable damage. Though all countries are moving towards AI integration, a significant issue gaining attention alongside this shift is the availability of a legal framework to address offences arising from AI usage. India does not yet have a specific law dealing exclusively with crimes committed using AI, but there are several laws that directly or indirectly cover such offences.

A) Information Technology Act, 2000: The IT Act, 2000 is the primary legislation dealing with all cases related to cybercrime. Crimes committed using AI that fall within the domain of cybercrime may be dealt with under this law.

B) Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023: The BNS, 2023, enacted to replace the Indian Penal Code, 1860, regulates various offences in India. Cases involving fraud, cheating, extortion, making or fabricating false evidence, or other similar offences may be filed under the BNS. Additionally, any offence committed using AI that falls under the scope of the BNS may also be registered accordingly.

C) Laws Relating to Intellectual Property: India has the Copyright Act, the Patents Act, the Trademarks Act, the Designs Act, and other laws protecting an individual’s intellectual property. These laws may be invoked in cases where AI is used to violate intellectual property rights.

D) Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023: Though the DPDP Act is yet to come into force, as its enforcement date is still to be notified, it aims to provide protection against various offences involving the misuse of personal data, including those using AI. The Act also prescribes stringent penalties for Data Fiduciaries who collect and process data—especially when AI is involved in such processing—and prohibits any misuse.

The Way Forward

One of the best gifts by humans to humans is Artificial Intelligence. AI is being used in almost all areas connected to mankind—be it gadgets like mobile phones, TVs, ACs, refrigerators, or cars—AI is being integrated into almost all technology-related fields. It serves as the finest assistant when used wisely but becomes a dangerous tool when used unproductively. It is very important to safeguard ourselves from the increasing cybercrimes committed through AI.

For instance, if you receive a call from a prominent personality asking for money, take a moment and think—why would that person be calling you? In incidents where you receive a call from the police, CBI, ED, Income Tax, or customs officials asking for your ID cards or money to settle cases or threatening digital arrest, pause and think: have you committed any offence? How can an official ask for money to settle cases?

In such situations, do not hesitate to report the matter to the cyber police or call 1930. The police are here to support us—we should not blame them or the administration but work with them to address the rising cases of cybercrime. Never hesitate to register cases of cyber offences. If money is deducted from your bank account, immediately inform your bank official as well.

Never click on links from unknown sources, and update applications only through official app stores. Always remember to “think and click”—this simple step can help save your hard-earned money.

The writer is Post Graduate (LLM) in Business Laws from NLSIU, Bangalore and pursuing PhD in Cyber Laws from RGNUL, Patiala. Views expressed are personal