Airtel Business CEO Backs AI Regulation, Emphasizes Need for Safety Guardrails

Airtel Business CEO Sharat Sinha has expressed support for the government’s proposed artificial intelligence (AI) regulatory framework. According to PTI, Sinha believes that appropriate safeguards and infrastructure will be essential for businesses to deploy AI safely and improve productivity. The company plans to work with regulators and customers to develop suitable specifications and ensure compliance.

Sinha welcomed the Centre’s plan to release a consultation paper on AI regulation, describing it as a step in the right direction. He noted that the proposed framework is expected to address AI safety, deepfakes, and a human-first approach. The company intends to contribute actively to the regulatory process, Sinha added.

The government has planned to publish an AI regulation consultation paper within a month, IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced last week. He stated that the document would serve as the foundation for a regulatory framework and emphasized India’s need to establish such a system. The proposed framework will have five broad priorities: safety, human-first approach, skilling, inclusion, and addressing societal harms caused by AI.

Sinha highlighted the importance of regulations in helping businesses build infrastructure that supports their operational objectives while allowing them to adopt AI securely. He noted that the architecture and methods used to deploy technology would continue to change as AI capabilities develop. The company’s cybersecurity business is expanding beyond conventional security services to address newer digital threats, Sinha said.

Airtel has developed consumer-facing fraud prevention capabilities using technology built on its existing spam prevention solution. According to Sinha, Airtel introduced its spam prevention service slightly over a year ago and subsequently developed a fraud prevention offering using network-based AI. He stated that the service was particularly relevant in India, where widespread digital financial transactions have heightened concerns about online fraud.