Revolutionizing Defence with Trustworthy AI: New Framework and Guidelines Launched

India introduces a new framework to ensure trust in AI for defence, emphasizing reliability, security, and transparency. The initiative aims to revolutionize warfare by integrating robust AI systems, proven essential in recent global conflicts.

The Evaluating Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence (ETAI) Framework and Guidelines for the Armed Forces were unveiled in New Delhi, an initiative spearheaded by Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan and DRDO Chairman Dr Samir V Kamat. According to a Ministry of Defence press release, these guidelines are central to India's strategy for integrating trustworthy AI into pivotal defence operations.

General Chauhan emphasized the necessity of trustworthy AI in military applications, citing global conflicts as evidence of AI's transformative impact on warfare. He highlighted the importance of ensuring AI systems' resilience against adversarial attacks, commending the Scientific Analysis Group for their role in developing the essential framework.

Dr Kamat underlined the shift from optional to essential for AI reliability and robustness, warning of mission failures without them. He pressed for AI applications to be reliable, transparent, and safe, while distinguished scientist Suma Varughese described the ETAI Framework as a risk-based assessment tool specifically for defence but applicable across sectors. The ETAI emphasizes reliability, security, transparency, fairness, and privacy.

The accompanying guidelines offer precise measures for developers and evaluators to meet these criteria, providing a structured approach to building and assessing trustworthy AI systems.

(With inputs from agencies.)