New Delhi, February 17 BJP MP and former foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla called for a new global governance structure on Tuesday to regulate emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), as well as the use of critical minerals, amid concerns about their potential to disrupt employment and incite social unrest.
Speaking at the AI Impact Summit here, Shringla—a member of the Rajya Sabha—said that institutions such as the United Nations and the World Trade Organization (WTO) are ill-equipped to handle futuristic technologies.
"You have a global governance structure, you have the United Nations, you have the WTO. But none of them are geared up for the technology that represents the future, whether it is AI or whether it is the use of critical minerals, or whether it is futuristic technology," he said.
"How do you regulate that space? How do you ensure that there is some level of international governance where every country has certain responsibility? So how do you use AI responsibly?" Shringla asked.
Highlighting AI's disruptive potential, he pointed to job losses and misuse in social media, including fake messages, morphed pictures, and posts that could trigger societal incidents and unrest.
"I am fully aware of the disruptions that AI can cause...There is already a concern in our country about disruptions in terms of employment or unemployment that AI can cause because it will make a whole lot of people redundant," he noted.
Shringla also drew parallels with syndicated cyber crime operations, stressing the need for a global framework to enforce regulations both nationally and internationally.
"So you need another global governance framework that can help countries across the board provide some regulation... There is a lot that we can do in terms of bringing some sort of control over the entire framework, you have not only nationally but also internationally," he added.
His remarks come amid growing global debates on AI ethics and governance, with India pushing for balanced regulations at international forums.
Speaking on the Atal Innovation Mission, its Director Deepak Bagla said that there are innovation labs in 10,000 schools and the target is to add another 50,000 to prepare the workforce for tomorrow.
At the secondary level, he said, "We have one of the highest number of incubators sitting with us at the Atal Incubation Mission. In fact, two weeks ago we crossed 100, and this is where we are picking up startups, we are picking up AI, we are picking up new technologies, nurturing them, and trying to see how they are bringing about a real grassroots impact."
The Atal Innovation Mission is a flagship initiative by the Government under NITI Aayog, launched in 2016 to foster a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship nationwide.
